Bloom
by Tokki-Trigger1995
Summary: Haruno Sakura was always a shy wall flower. Not important, but there for the scene. To make everything prettier. But the new kid is here to show her that not all flowers need the sun to bloom.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Well, this is it, folks. The first chapter of Bloom. It came out a lot differently than I expected, but I like it. I had a bunch of technical difficulties while typing this like my computer crashing and stuff like that. And by the way, I _did _steal a nana scene in this chapter and if you noticed, good job! Oh, and don't forget to notice the ratings, kids. There's a reason it's rated M, but I assure you nothing horrible will happen until later chapters.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own the Nana scene, "Hurt Me" by Makeshift Romeo, or "Save it for the Bedroom" by You Me At Six. Oh, but I do own Ryu.

* * *

Chapter One

Tick Tock

Time stops, and all that moves are his eyes, onyx-colored and smothering, like they can swallow you if you stare too much. There's nothing else moving, and he's so still that it seems like he's not breathing. Is he breathing? I can't really be sure.

The silence is thick. So thick that you can't even hear the clock ticking and tocking anymore. I imagine hands of fog, holding the second hand of the clock still, so that the sound stops. So there's nothing to reassure you that you're still in reality.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

Dark raven hair falls into his eyes in a curtain of ebony, completely hiding his eyes when he looks at his feet.

"Well, introduce yourself," says Iruka-sensei, obviously impatient, "We don't have all day, new kid." His ponytail his standing up on his head and his dark brown eyes roll.

"Uchiha," the boy says, and I realize that he's an unhealthy shade of ivory. Don't emo kids go in the sun anymore? "My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

"Uchiha Sasuke," I say under my breath, testing the way it sounds with my voice, "Uchiha Sasuke."

I look around the classroom, seeking empty seats for the new kid, and there's only one, right next to me. It makes me think I'm in a badly written soap opera. Would he sit next to me? Or would Iruka-sensei find somewhere else? I'm pretty sure the latter is out.

I tense up as he walks to sit in the desk to mine, so nervous I can already feel new knots clawing into my muscles. Am I holding my breath? I can't believe I'm afraid of the new kid. He isn't a rapist or anything. I hope. I am afraid of people. Always have been. Always will be. But this is the first time this kind of shiver has run up and down my spine, the first time I've ever felt fear this intense suffocating me.

And it can't be a good omen.

He sits down, gloomy and silent, like he can't talk, but I know he can because he just introduced himself. He glances at me once, unfeeling onyx glaring into my emerald green eyes. I all of a sudden feel a constricting pain in my chest, choking me more than I already am. Then, just like nothing ever happened, he turns around, and I let go of the breath I didn't even know I was holding.

There's nothing to do in the class, nothing at all, with the teacher being lazier than the sin of sloth itself, and the lack of air-conditioning making it too hot to move, all the kids can do is simmer in early spring heat.

He pulls an iPod out of his pocket, a black chromatic, and he puts the ear plugs into his ears, the sounds of Makeshift Romeo blaring from the tiny plugs.

I think of the lyrics in my head, replaying the song over and over and resisting not singing along: _You're never gonna hurt me again. And there's no way to take back all those things you did._

Why am I thinking about him _now_ of all times? It's just a song. Besides, he's been gone for years. But wait, there's someone else now, isn't there? Someone worse. What a shame.

Instead, I pull out my own iPod, a red and still shiny chromatic and put on my ear phones, playing You Me at Six, humming along to the lyrics: _Keep your lies to yourself, every lie you heard from someone else, and you know you will never get with it._

All of a sudden, I feel eyes bore into me, somewhat a death glare, like I committed a terrible misdemeanor, and I'll never ever be forgiven. I look to my right and see him, the new kid, staring at me, his eyes so smoldering that I can't even see my reflection in them. It scares me a bit, and then I get hypnotized, staring into me like I was glass. Could he see through me?

"What?" I whisper, my voice so small that I barely recognize that it's me, "Stop looking at me like that." I pull an ear phone out of my ear and look at him with wide eyes.

He raises a flawless black eyebrow, and pulls an earphone out of his ear. "Hn?" he questions, obviously wondering what I said, "I didn't hear you." His voice is husky and pleasant, very easy to get used to. I don't reply to him and he seems annoyed. "What. Did. You. Say?" he repeats slowly, like he is talking to a three-year-old, "I don't have all day, you know."

"I said to stop looking at me like that," I finally manage to reply, amazed at how tiny my voice sounds, "It's kind of scary."

He smirks, obviously amused. "You mean staring at you like this?" he questions, giving me the semi-death glare he gave me a few minutes ago, "Like I can read you?"

I almost freeze, a bit afraid, and then I realize I'm letting him win. "No," I say, shaking my head, "No, not that stare. The other one."

He raises an eyebrow again, tilting his head in confusion. "What stare?" he asks me, getting even more annoyed than before.

I say nothing for a bit, contemplating what to call the stare. "The one where it looks like you can see through me," I say, deciding that was the best name for it, "Like I'm a mirror, or made of glass or something."

"Glass?" he questions, once again looking amused, "You don't seem that fragile to me."

"I'm not," I reply a little defensively, "I'm just telling you that's what it seems like."

He runs a hand through his dark, raven hair and sighs. He looks like he's about to ay something, but decides against it. Instead, he says, "Your hair's pink," and points out the obvious, "And your eyes are green. Are you sure you're Japanese?"

I shrug, looking up at him. "I never said I was," I say, studying his reaction, "Just because we're in Japan doesn't mean I'm Japanese."

"Aren't you?" he questions, arching an eyebrow yet again.

"I am," I say, nodding my head, "But that doesn't mean you should assume it." I smile at my wit.

He looks at me, his eyes once again blank and smoldering and swallowing my reflection. He doesn't say anything for a bit, and then, just like that, in a flat monotone voice, he says, "You're annoying."

I resist the urge to beat him with my binder. Instead, I put my earphones into my ears, and walk out in the middle of class. Something I'm famous for.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here, Haruno?" I hear a voice from behind me ask, "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"I should," I say, nodding my head and rolling my eyes, "But when the hell do I do stuff I'm supposed to, Sai?"

I can sense him shaking his head as he sits beside me on the school roof. "How do you expect to graduate going on like this?" he questions me raising an eyebrow, "Skipping class and not doing your work? If you don't graduate, you can't leave."

"I know that," I say, sighing, "But I have an excuse today! Some freak in class was calling me annoying and shit."

"That's not a reason for you to walk out of class, Sakura," he scolds, expecting me to care, "Or do you _want _to be stuck with your mom and Ryu for the rest of your life?"

I glare at him, obviously a bit stung by the comment. "You _know_ I don't, " I say, daring him to prove me wrong, "You have no right to accuse me of anything."

"I know I don't," he says, nodding, "But you have to get your act together. Do you understand that?"

"I know," I say, sighing yet again, "I'm working on it."

He sighs and stands up, inhaling the air and looking at the city below him. "Temari and I are leaving tomorrow."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask Temari at lunch, causing her to look up from the compact and stop putting on her extra layer of eyeliner.

She doesn't answer the question and keeps putting on her eyeliner. Soon, she snaps her compact shut, puts it away, and turns to face me. "I didn't know how to tell you," she says guiltily, "I wanted to tell you but I was too afraid."

"You're leaving us!" I practically yell, wanting to strangle her, "What about your brothers?! What's gonna happen?!"

She looks at me a bit guiltily. "We decided that they're old enough to be on their own, just like I am," she tells me, looking away.

"What?!" I exclaim, feeling the eyes of the new kid at me, "Why?!"

"They're our age, Sakura," says Temari sighing, "I can't keep babying them."

"But they're your twins, Temari!" I yell, attracting the attention of everyone on the cafeteria. Fuck it. The hell do I care what they think anyway? "You three shared a womb!"

She nods at me, sighing. "I know," she says rolling her eyes, "But we decided together. Sai said that I can go if I want to go. It was entirely my decision."

I feel like crying, and she's not even leaving yet. "But we were supposed to be together forever," I say in a quiet voice.

"We'll always be friends, Sakura," she nods, agreeing with me, "But we can't stay in this small city forever."

* * *

"I can't believe you're leaving!" I want to yell, but instead, I give them a hug and wish them a good trip.

He ruffles my hair, something I hate, and she kisses my cheeks, and then they walk away.

"They're leaving us," I say quietly to Gaara and Kankurou, watching them walk into the train with his arm around her.

"Yeah," breathes Gaara, nodding his head, "They are."

"All aboard!" yells the conductor, and then I see Temari hug Sai and kiss him hard, tears running down her cheeks. Sai seems to understand because he doesn't try to stop her as she pulls away from him and run onto the platform, sobbing and miserable.

"Temari!" yells Kankurou and runs over to her, "Why aren't you going with him?!"

"I can't leave," she sobs, shaking almost uncontrollably, "I can't leave you guys."

I turn to look at the train.

It's gone.

* * *

I look around the art club room, my eyes scanning everything around me, and I realize the new kid, Sasuke, is there, watching me. Probably wondering why I'm not doing anything and just sitting around. What the hell does he care? It's not like he knows one of my only friends left Japan to go who-knows-where and that I never really liked art because _he_ taught me everything I know. He doesn't know anything about me. I'll never let him.

I turn away before his eyes swallow my reflection again. Before he makes me disappear into smoldering onyx and everyone forgets who I am. I can't let that happen. Not before I leave this city. Not before I find a way to live life to the fullest.

I think about Sai, ebony-haired and onyx-eyed, and it barely occurs to me that he looks like Sasuke. Or does Sasuke look like him? Pale, ivory white skin covered his bones too, and thin lips hid his teeth.

But Sai has--_had--_ Temari. A part of me would like to believe he still does. The other part wants me to believe he has me.

Does he know that he does? Does he care?

I sigh. I'm being selfish. I remember what Temari said to me when I told her that I liked Sai too: "_I can't be second place this time, Sakura. Just this once, I'm not gonna let you win._"

I never knew being second place hurt so much.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, that was a pretty good chapter. Not the best, but it's a working progress, isn't it?

Just to get things clear, Temari told Sakura she liked Sai. Then, Sakura told Temari she liked him too. Temari didn't want to sacrifice Sai for Sakura, and told Sai she liked him. Sai and Temari got together with Sakura supporting them to the fullest, although still loving Sai.

Anyway, do me a favor and review. I don't mind flames. I encourage them, actually. Anything to help my writing. Although, constructive criticism is preferable.

Tokki-Trigger, OVER AND OUT!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Well, here's the second installment of Bloom. It was kind of a pain writing it, but I' proud of it. I mean, I had a huge writers block, and I kept wanting to do fan art for this instead of just writing it. If I kept it up, it would've turned out a manga. And, I've been failing math. BAD. Are people even supposed to do physics in ninth grade? Goodness. At least I still have my faithful reviewers.

**Disclaimer: **The only character I own is Ryu, but other than that, the only thing I own is the plot.

* * *

Chapter Two

In My Mind

Blank onyx eyes bore into me as I sketch the city below me. I beg in my mind for him to leave me alone. For him to not care why the hell I'm up there and leave. But that's highly unlikely with my luck.

"What are you doing?" he questions, his voice as blank and empty as his eyes. I don't have to look at him to realize they swallow my reflection.

"Drawing," I say, looking at the view again, "This _is _a free country."

"Well then _why _are you drawing?" he questions, walking over to me, "Do you have an art fetish or something?"

I have to hold my breath to stop myself from laughing. "Fetish?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, "No, it's not a fetish at all."

"Then why do you do it all the time?" he asks, sighing and sitting next to me, "What enjoyment do you get out of it?"

'It was the last thing my father taught me before he became a meth addict,' I think. I don't want to say it out loud, and I highly doubt he'll care.

"Tell me," he says, almost gently. I say nothing and he grabs my arm. "Tell me," he repeats, looking into my eyes, and for once, I can see myself inside them.

But it's not what I'm supposed to see.

I don't see myself with a sketchbook in my lap. I see myself as a ten-year-old girl getting beat by my father as I hide the meth. I see myself crying as he passes out, and sobbing and shaking with no way to control it.

It's playing in his eyes, like he and I are watching a movie and all I want to do is pause even though he wants to keep watching the next scene. "Stop," I plead, screaming in my head, but my voice won't come out, "Stop."

And then he's done, and then he's gone.

At first, I'm happy he's gone. And then I'm lonely and sad and suicidal and on the verge of breaking down, but I don't.

I never will.

* * *

He was in my head.

He invaded my mind and found out what nobody was ever supposed to know.

Somehow.

That's the only thing going through my mind as Ryu's hand collides with my cheek. "Listen to me, you fucking slut!" he yells, furious at me for whatever reason, "Where the fuck is your mother?!"

"How the fuck would I know?!" I yell back, holding my cheek, "She's not _my_ fucking wife!"

He pins me against the wall by my neck and I claw at him. Anything to get him to let me go. He smirks at watching my squirm, and then tightens his grip. "Where is your mother?" he asks me, his hand reaching for the top button of my shirt. I say nothing and he unbuttons it. "Maybe you want this. Maybe you're just as much a whore as your mother is."

I slap him, this being the first time I ever raise my hand against him, and he spits at me. "Never compare me to my mother," I say, hopefully threatening.

He chuckles. "Do you really think you're in the position to threaten me right now?" he asks, tightening his grip on my throat, "What makes you think I can't kill you now?"

I say nothing, and he throws his head back and laughs. "Since your mother's not here," he says, breathing in my scent, "Looks like you'll have to do."

I struggle in his grip and and scream and yell and bite, anything, _anything_ to get him off.

But he won't.

* * *

I run into the bathroom and turn on the scalding hot water, scrubbing myself, ridding myself of all the germs that aren't supposed to be there.

All the germs that are _his._ All the germs he gave me the first time, and the second time, and the fourth and the fifth and however many times it's happened and however many times not all of the germs have come off yet.

I try not to remember that he's passed out on the sofa. I try not to remember that there are large knives in the kitchen. I try not to remember my father. I try not to remember the life I lived before he became an addict. I try not to remember anything.

But that doesn't change the fact that it's there.

It doesn't change the fact that the past is the past, and no matter what, it helped me become what I am today.

But what exactly am I?

Alone? Afraid?

Everything I hate?

It makes me want to break him. Makes me wanna tear him apart limb from limb and wait until he screams and bleeds and begs for me to stop.

Just like I begged him. But just like him, I won't.

Not until he can't touch me. Not until he'll never move again. Not until I'm sure he's as broken as I am.

* * *

Gaara and Temari and Kankurou wait in the car as I climb down the window of my room.

They don't need to ask as I get into the car, next to Gaara in the back seat, and hug myself, really tight.

Temari's hands tighten in the steering wheel as her eyes narrow. "He did it again, didn't he?" she asks, even though he doesn't need to.

"He can't keep doing that to you, Sakura," says Gaara, his slightly monotone voice now slightly hardening, "Eventually, we'll have to do something about it."

"You three can't keep protecting me," I say, sighing, but still wanting them to kill him and burn him in hell.

"You can't keep acting like you can protect yourself," says Kankurou, looking at me from the passengers seat, "Why don't you take up our offer and stay with us until you graduate?"

"Because I don't take up charity, you guys," I say, sighing.

"It's not charity," Gaara says, rolling his light, aquamarine-colored eyes, "Stop the masochistic attitude."

"Then, what is it?" I counter, raising an expectant eyebrow.

"An offer you know you shouldn't refuse."

I shake my head in disapproval and sigh more at myself than them. "You know they'll find me."

Temari's eyes harden and she grips the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turn white and you can see her bone. "We can leave to, you know. Mom and Dad love you as much as they love us. We can go into hiding."

"It's not your job to protect me," I say, looking anywhere but the three of them.

"We know," Kankurou says, nodding his head slightly as we pull up to the school, "But we want to."

* * *

The new kid watches me, looking at me closely, like he's concentrating on me, or something near me.

I resist the urge to go up to him and hit him, and I realize that wouldn't be a very good thing to have on my permanent record.

I feel his gaze on me as I walk on, trying to ignore his obvious stare.

Then, it dawns on me that he and I are the only two people in the halls, everybody else in class.

Anything that happens in this hall is blocked out by thick wood doors and sound-proof walls.

"Stop running from me," he orders, and he's so close behind me I can feel his warm breath tickle the back of my neck.

"What do you want, Uchiha?" I almost bark, but I stop 'running' from him, listening to his order, "What right do you have to order me around?"

"You listened," he says, and I have to admit that I walked right into that one with no plan to get out.

"Just tell me what you want so I can leave," I say, turning around to face him, and the second I do, I see myself in his eyes again.

But I'm seeing what happened yesterday. I'm seeing Ryu's hands all over me and I'm screaming and fighting and trying to get him off.

And then it morphs to the first time.

_I walked into the house, already pissed off because of school, and he was there, waiting for me with a baseball bat in his hand. _

_I knew what would happen next, and I got ready to turn around and run, run as far as I could, but he grabbed a fistful of my long pink hair and dragged me inside._

_"You snuck out, you little whore," he said to me, and I clenched my eyes tight, "Didn't even leave a note for dear old dad. Where were you?"_

_I kept my eyes shut tight as he held my hair tighter._

_"Answer me, bitch!" he yelled, and I yelped as he whacked my stomach with the baseball bat, "Where were you?!"_

_I again didn't say anything, and I sensed that he was madder than before. _

_He hit me in the back of the head with the bat, and it hurt so much that I couldn't even move. _

_I could only lie there and take it._

_And I hated myself, just for that day._

And just like before, I ask him to stop and he does.

I wait for him to turn his back on me and run, but this time, he doesn't.

This time, he holds his hand out, ready to listen.

And I take it, ready to talk.

* * *

We leave the school and he drives us around in his black Maserati 3200 GT with heavily tinted windows, and it is one of the sexiest cars I have ever seen, hands-down.

"Why don't you just leave your family?" he asks me, and I look outside the window instead of answering his question, "I'm willing to listen if you're willing to talk."

"What if I'm not?" I challenge, and I realize I'm being extremely rude to someone who just got me out of school, "I mean, what duty do you have to me? We're complete strangers to each other."

"I know," he nods, not once taking his eyes off me, even though they should be on the road, "This isn't a sappy romance novel. I'm not gonna tell you I feel like I've known you my whole life, and I'm not gonna just burst out about how I wanna protect you." I refuse to look at him and concentrate in the blur of buildings and people pass by as he keeps going. "I've been watching you, and I want to know what you know. About people, about life, about everything."

"How fast are we going?" I ask him, and I hear him sigh in annoyance as I avoid his prodding.

"105," he replies, and my head automatically snaps to him, my eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

I almost think he's lying, but when I look into his eyes and they do nothing but swallow me, I have to look past them and at the speedometer. The little orange needle-thing is right at 105, right where he said it would be.

His eyes never leave me, not even for a little, not even when he makes a left turn to park at a restaurant. His phone rings, and the caller ID says it's Naruto.

'Naruto,' I think, remembering where I've heard the name, and I hear Temari's voice lecturing me, 'A new kid. He enrolled the same day as the Uchiha. So did his girlfriend, Hyuga Hinata.'

Sasuke picks up the phone. "Hn," he answers, placing it to his ear, "What do you want, dobe?"

I say nothing, but I can hear Naruto's voice, clear as day, thanks to the volume on his cell phone. "You have company."

It's a statement, not a question, and I wonder how he knows.

"It's a girl," he says, and again, it's a statement, not a question

First, he knows I'm here. Then, he knows I'm a girl. What else?

"She can hear me."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Didn't see that coming, did you?

It was one of the best cliffies I've ever wrote. This one wasn't badly timed or anything. Well, it kinda was, but aren't all cliffies?

Just to clear the air, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata enrolled on the same day, but Sasuke was placed in a different classroom than them. They have no classes together, and not even lunch.

It would give me so much joy if all my readers would review (and refer my stories to other fan fictions readers). I swear, it's like a sugar rush.

Tokki-Trigger, OUT!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Well, this was actually a pretty fast update. It took a few days for me to write this one and type it out. I even edited it like, four times. _And _it's around the same length as the other chapters. I'm really happy that people actually reviewed and _liked_ the story, but I am a bit disappointed that more people added it to their favorites but didn't even bother to review it. If you're gonna add it to your favorites or something, at least have the decency to review it. Goodness. Besides, I only got this chapter finished so fast because more people reviewed. Before I forget, can somebody break down beat-reading for me? Like how to be one and how to get one? I'm really comfused about that.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or 'Vices' by Silverstein at all. If I did, you would know.

* * *

Chapter Three

To Know Who You Are

He hangs up with Naruto, and we sit in the car in silence, the doors locked and my heart beating inside my chest like it'll explode.

"You're afraid," he says, and his voice is so sure that I don't even try to tell him I'm not, "You don't need to be."

"Give me one reason not to," I challenge, visibly shivering. I doubt he knows that it's because of the cold. "Naru--whatever his name is-- knows I'm here. He's nowhere near us."

"You're right," Sasuke says, almost bitterly, "You _should_ be afraid, shouldn't you?" I don't say anything and he starts the car. "I'm taking you back to the school."

"Don't," I say, and he turns it off, "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. I'm a little shocked. I mean, how did he know about me?"

He lets out a laugh, obviously fake and obviously strangled. "God, it's like we're in Twilight or something."

I groan. "Please, don't ever make that comparison again," I say, and he almost lets out a chuckle, "Temari loves Twilight. She never shuts up about it."

"Does she?" he asks, obviously trying to keep the conversation going. He obviously doesn't have many people skills.

"Yeah, " I say, continuing for his sake, "She's so obsessed that I know the whole series. I haven't read it or anything."

"Why not?" he asks, curious this time, "Vampires not your thing or something?"

"No," I say, shaking my head, "On the contrary my dear, I love vampires. Just not the ones from Twilight." He looks at me hard, like he's studying me, and I keep going. "I prefer Anne Rice vampires, or people rumored to be vampires like Erzebeth Bathory. I'm not into glitter."

"What if vampires didn't glitter, or sparkle, or whatever they're believed to do in the light?" he asks me, eyes looking anywhere but me, "What if they thrived on it? What if it gave them so much power that they were afraid of it?"

"Then let them be," I answer, wondering where this is going, "I mean, if they're afraid of the light then they won't be here. This is one of the sunniest cities in Japan. I don't care as long as they're not here."

"You mean, not near you, right?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I reply, shaking my head, "As long as they're not near my friends."

"Hn," he grunts, and I'm sure that's not really a word.

"Are you a vampire?" I ask suddenly, and his head snaps to me and I try to cover it up, "Well, you _did _have a Twilight reference, so I was just wondering."

He studies me, and I see myself in his eyes. Not as a ten-year-old, not screaming and crying, but as myself. As I am now.

"Would you believe me?" he asks, and as much as I try not to, I believe him.

"Naruto and Hinata, too?" I ask, looking away from his eyes.

He looks confused for a bit, "How do you know about Naruto and Hinata?"

I smile inwardly. "Temari is the gossip queen," I say, a little proudly, "She knows everything that goes on in that school. They're together, aren't they?"

"Close," he says, turning on the car to play a CD, "They're bonded."

"Bonded?" I echo, a little confused as the pulsing music of 'Vices' by Silverstein blares through the speakers, "What does that mean?"

He sighs. "Naruto and Hinata were born vampires. A couple of centuries ago, they decided they didn't want to be with anyone but each other and bonded." He sighs as I look at him confused. "Think of it as the vampire equivalent of marriage. Except divorce isn't an option."

"Oh," I say nodding, "What did he call for anyway?"

"My uncle was looking for me," he says, looking away from me, "Naruto has a special power. He can see people wherever they are. He can see all their surroundings. That's how he knew you were here, so he called to tell me what I'm doing is dangerous."

"Oh," I say, but I can tell he's holding back.

He sighs as I look at him expectantly.

"They want to meet you."

* * *

I feel frozen as we drive to his house, the pounding of my heart and the clenching of my fists the only things that assure me that I'm still alive.

But I don't want to leave.

I want to meet them and know them and be their friends.

I don't trust Sasuke. Not yet, at least, but I believe him. I believe that he _is _a vampire and that he _does _wanna know everything I do.

But I don't tell him that.

"Do you have a special power?" I ask, distracting myself from my thoughts.

"Do you really not know?" he questions, and this time, he actually keeps his eyes on the road, "To think I've used it on you a few times."

"That mind-reading thing?" I ask, looking at the side of his face, "That's your special power?"

"It's not mind-reading," he says, rolling his eyes at me, "I don't _read_ anything. I watch memories. I can watch one of your memories without you even thinking about it. I can't hear your thoughts in the memory either."

"What's it called?" I ask, tilting my head to the side in confusion.

"I don't really know," he says, making a smooth turn at 105 miles an hour, "I call it memory-watching."

"How boring," I say, rolling my eyes at him for the sake of annoying him.

He grunts and makes a left turn so sharp, I bump into the door.

"You asshole!" I complain, rubbing my arm, "That was my _arm_! Just because _you're_ invincible doesn't mean you can do that to poor little girls."

"Little girl, my ass," he scoffs, smirking a little, "Get out of the car. We're here."

I panic again, my eyes going wide at the sight of the house.

I calm down a little when I realize that it's not an extravagant mansion, but a modest two-floor house. The only thing that separates it from other houses is the almost-unnoticeable lack of windows.

I open the car door and step out, letting Sasuke walk in front of me. I imagine disappearing, shrinking behind him and leaving like I was never there.

But he would know, and so would I.

He opens the front door and throws his backpack on the floor, and it barely occurs to me that I left mine in his car.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun," says a girl that I assume is Hinata. She's tall and well-filled out, with dark, violet-colored hair and light, pearl-colored eyes. She carries herself with pride, but not vanity, like she knows she's royalty but doesn't let it get to her head. She smiles at me and blushes, pushing her two index fingers together shyly."You must be Sakura-san."

"Please, just call me Sakura," I say, nodding in acknowledgment, "You don't need to be so proper."

"Sakura-chan?" she suggests, looking towards me for approval. I nod and she keeps going. "I'm Hinata."

"Nice to meet you, Hinata-chan," I say smiling, and she blushes in embarrassment.

"Hinata-chan!" yells a loud, obnoxious voice from inside the kitchen, "Is the teme home?!"

A tall boy with spiky blonde hair walks through the door. He has sapphire blue eyes and I notice that he, Hinata, and Sasuke have the same ivory-white skin, pale to the point of challenging snow, but they still manage to glow. Like angels without halos.

It makes me kinda jealous.

"Hey!" he yells, noticing me as he wraps his arm around Hinata, "You're Sakura-chan, right?"

"Yeah," I say, almost flinching at his loudness, "I guess you're Naruto."

He gives me a toothy grin and I notice his slightly sharper canines and three whisker-like marks on both of his cheeks.

I look at Sasuke and he rolls his eyes at Naruto. "You're annoying her, dobe."

He semi-glares at Sasuke. "You're lucky Kakashi's looking for you, teme."

* * *

We all walk into the living room and I see a man that I assume to be Kakashi on the couch.

He's pale white too, though just barely tanner than the rest of them. He wears a mask over his left eye and the rest of his face, so the only thing visible is his right eye. It's the same onyx black as Sasuke's, but it doesn't swallow you, which I'm glad for. His hair is flop-sided and silver, not white, and he's tall and lean. "You must be Sakura-chan," he says to me, his visible eye crinkling to indicate his smile, "My name's Kakashi."

He looks at Hinata expectantly and she nods. "Just like the others," she says, her voice sure and full of an authority I didn't notice.

"What do you mean?" I ask, "Others?"

"Hinata-chan has the ability to see people's life-spans," says Naruto, looking proud of her, "Every time we get involved with a human, their life span shortens, and when we leave, it goes back to normal."

"So my life-span just shortened?" I ask, tilting my head, "How much?"

"She can't tell you," says Kakashi, standing up, "Everything she sees is supposed to be completely confidential."

"What's your special power?" I ask him, taking in his full height, "Do you have one?"

He chuckles. "I do have a power, " he says, nodding his head, "But I'm not gonna tell." He looks at Sasuke, suddenly serious. "Come with me, Sasuke. We have to talk."

Sasuke nods and follows him to another part of the house leaving me with Hinata and Naruto.

My stomach grumbles and I have to stop myself from groaning.

"Time to feed the human!" Naruto yells, just as loudly as ever, "Hinata-chan makes the best ramen!"

Hinata blushes again, all the authority there before now replaced with timidness. "I'll get started," she mumbles and makes her way into the kitchen.

I follow her and lean against the door frame. "Do you need help with anything?" I ask, watching her put water into a pot to boil, "Anything at all?"

She looks at me and shakes her head gently. "You're a guest, Sakura-chan. I'll take care of everything."

"I didn't even know vampires need to eat," I say as Naruto walks into the kitchen.

"We don't," he says, his goofy grin still in place as he watches her cook, "We can eat whenever we like. We're not like humans. We won't die without it. But we do have taste buds."

Sasuke and Kakashi walk into the kitchen and I raise my eyebrow at Sasuke. He doesn't say anything, and we all have lunch.

* * *

"You're family seems nice," I tell him on the drive to Temari's house, "I really mean it."

"They're all right," he shrugs, keeping his speed steady at 105 once again, "They get fucking annoying though."

"They're beautiful, you know," I say, looking out the window, "All of you are. Guess that's one of the perks of being immortal. Hinata-chan's gorgeous."

"You have know idea what we are," he says to me. He's not trying to sound mean, but it doesn't change the fact that he does.

"_Who_ you are," I say, correcting him, "You aren't a thing. Vampires qualify as people. "

"People that drink blood and live forever?" he challenges, smirking.

"Yes," I say, nodding at him and he chuckles, "What's Kakashi's special power?"

He doesn't say anything and I look at him expectantly. "I'm not telling you," he finally decides.

I jaw drop at him and I feel my eyes go wide.

"You look like a blow fish," he says, looking at me, "A pale blow fish with pink hair and green eyes."

"They're _emerald_, thank you," I say, pretending to be offended.

"Same thing," he says, rolling his eyes, "Get out. We're at your friends' house."

I look outside the window and realize he's right. He unlocks the door and I step out, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and shutting the door behind me. He doesn't even look back at me as he drives off, most likely at 105.

I walk to their front door and knock.

Temari's mother answers, beautiful and olive skinned , and smiles at me. Her bone structure looks like Gaara, but her hair color is the same exact sandy blonde as Temari's. Her eyes are brown, light and wise and the color of wood, exactly like Kankurou's.

"Sakura-chan!" she exclaims, rushing me into the door, "We were starting to worry about you!"

"Daijoubu, Subaku-san," I say, bowing politely.

"Who is it, koi?" asks Gaara's father. He's tall and built, like Kankurou, his hair is wine red, like Gaara, and his eyes are the same forest green as Temari's with traces of Gaara's aquamarine.

They're both beautiful, so beautiful they look more like newly weds than the mother and father of teenage triplets.

"It's Sakura," she replies, stepping aside to let him see me, "Temari's in her room. They boys are in their room."

"Arrigatou, Subaku-san," I say, and make my way up the stairs into Temari's room.

She tackles me as I walk through the door, Gaara sitting at the desk and Kankurou on the floor.

"Sakura!" she explodes, hugging the air out of me.

"Tem-a-ri," I try to say, gasping for air, "I-need-to-breathe!"

She gasps and lets me go, grabbing my shoulders and making me look her in the eye. "Are you okay, Sakura?" she asks, seriously.

I look over at Kankurou and Gaara and see them looking at me intensely. "I think I'm fine."

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter wasn't as good as the rest of them, was it? I guess that's why it didn't take that long. Actually, most of this is supposed to be a filler chapter so that's why it's a little, you know, out there. By the way, I have no real idea what Gaara's parents look like so I tried to make it as obvious as I could. How do you think they turned out? Honestly?

Oh, here's a thought: Why don't you give me the answer in a review?

Tokki-Trigger, SIGNING OFF!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **So, this is the fourth installment of 'Bloom'. Sorry for the third chapter being such a bust, but like I said, it was meant to be a filler and explain some of the points I didn't exactly get to. I listened to a lot of 'Disco Ensemble' while writing this chapter, so if you see a difference between the writing style, that's why. Thanks for caring enough to read to the fourth chapter and enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Not only do I not own Naruto, I do not own a goldfish.

* * *

Chapter Four

To Know Who Loves You and Then Not Care

She stands in front of the classroom, her eyes narrowed and staring right at me. She's got red hair, lighter than Gaara's, and her eyes are ruby red, like a monster or a demon with glasses perched on her nose.

Sasuke stiffens right beside me, but as soon as I think about asking him what's wrong, the new girl tackles him, throwing her arms around him and squealing. "Sasuke-kun!" she screeches, choking the air out of him, not that he needs it, "Where have you been? You left without telling me again!"

"Again?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at them.

Her head snaps to me and she glares, obviously trying to send me to hell with her 'hell-hath-no-fury' eyes. "Who the fuck are you?" she asks, looking me up and down, "You're after my Sasuke-kun, aren't you?!"

"Karin," chokes Sasuke, trying to get her off of his neck, "Let me go."

"Let you go?!" she exclaims like it's forbidden, "I could _never_ let you go, Sasuke-kun!" And just like that, she's quiet and staring right into his eyes. "So, this is your little human toy," she hisses under her breath and looking at me, "Trashier then the rest of them."

"Excuse me?" I ask, obviously offended, "I wouldn't be talking about trashy if I came to school in a see-through tank top and invisible shorts." I flick her off and smile sweetly. "Suck on that, leech!"

"Leech?" she screeches, her voice reminding me of nails on a chalkboard, "At least I'm not a stupid ementra!"

"Who the fuck are you anyway?" I ask, glaring at her.

"I'm Karin," she says, smirking in a Team Rocket fashion, "Sasuke-kun's future mate."

I raise an eyebrow at Sasuke and he slaps himself in the forehead. He looks me in the eye and I don't see myself at all.

_I see the Victorian era, probably around the time Sasuke was physically sixteen. I see a beautiful woman that looks exactly like him with long, raven hair spilling down her back like a waterfall and onyx black eyes that shine despite their color._

_A man is standing next to her, as onyx-eyed as she is, but with shoulder-length, coffee brown hair and two marks above his cheek bones._

_Sasuke's standing in between them, Kakashi standing behind him, and he still looks exactly the same as he does now. The same ebony black hair and the same smoldering onyx-colored eyes that threaten to swallow you if you look into them that long._

_Karin is standing right across from him, blushing furiously and wringing her hands._

_"Sasuke," says the man who I assume to be his father, "This is Karin. She will be your future mate."_

_Sasuke's mother sighs disapprovingly and shakes her head, but tries to smile the best that she can._

And just like that, I'm back to the future, and my mind is still reeling from the fact that Sasuke just showed me one of his memories.

Before I can open my mouth to ask a question, two guys rush into the room, one with bright orange hair, and one with hair as silver as Kakashi's.

"Karin!" yells the orange-haired one, relieved for whatever reason, "I thought I told you not to run off like that!"

"Juugo, look!" she yells, smiling broadly and clinging to Sasuke tighter, "I found Sasuke-kun!"

"Karin," groans the silver-haired guy rolling his eyes, "Wonder Boy didn't wanna be found."

The two new boys turn to me, as if barely noticing me, raising their eyebrows and looking at me in confusion.

I look as Sasuke expectantly and he sighs, peeling Karin's arms off his neck like velcro and standing up.

"This is Sakura," he says, nodding towards me.

I smile at the two new kids and they nod in recognition.

"The guy with the orange hair is Juugo, Karin's cousin," he continues, gesturing to the person on the right, "The one with the white hair--"

"_Silver,_" he corrects in a did-you-know? fashion.

"_White_ hair," continues Sasuke, rolling his eyes in annoyance, "Is Suigetsu."

Juugo and Suigetsu look at Karin confused and her eyes harden. "She's Sasuke-kun's new human trailer trash."

I raise an eyebrow at her and look at her outfit up and down. "Honey," I say, my voice sickeningly sweet, "You're the trash that gets _kicked-out_ of the trailer park." I look at the clock and realize that class is gonna start in a few minutes. "Sasuke." I say, looking at him.

He looks at the clock really fast and nods at me, looking back at his friends, "Let's go."

* * *

We end up at the roof of the school, me and Sasuke standing across from Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu.

I look at Suigetsu hard, like I know him, but I can't quite place where I've seen him before. He looks at me with the exact same stare, and his eyes widen as I walk up to him and cup his cheek.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Suigetsu, as if he saw this coming, and I realize that Suigetsu's eyes are purple. But not just any purple._ Lavender._

I move my hand from his cheek to his mouth, my wrist right in front of his lips.

He smiles at me, almost gently, and I know who he is for sure.

"I can't anymore, Sakura-chan," he says to me, moving my wrist away from his face, "You aren't mine anymore."

Karin's eyes bulge out of their sockets and I move my arm back to my side. "That's right, isn't it?" I question him, reminding myself of the little girl I was when I met him, "You said you'd only drink from me again if I was still yours."

"Yeah," he chuckles gently and nodding, "Who is he?"

I laugh and shake my head at him. "No one important anymore."

"Hello?" interrupts Karin, obviously not accustomed to not having all eyes on her, "Mind telling us how you two know each other?"

I look at Suigetsu for approval and he shrugs his shoulders at me."I met him when I was young," I say, smiling a bit at the memory, "It was so long ago that I can't even remember how old I was."

"You were seven," Suigetsu says before Sasuke can make any words form out of his now open mouth, "You just turned seven that March."

I smile at Suigetsu, realizing I've been smiling too much. "It's nice to know that even though I'm not yours, you're still mine," I say, almost disapprovingly, "Anyway, there was a vampire that was after me, and Suigetsu saved me."

"But you said he'd only drink from you _again_ if you were still his," says Juugo, confused, "That means he's already tasted you."

"Yeah," I nod, dodging Sasuke's eyes even though he already knows, "I was grateful after he saved me."

"You didn't have to offer your blood," says Sasuke stiffly, "You could've just said 'thank you'."

"Sasuke," I say, quickly changing the subject, "I'm going home tonight."

* * *

I thank Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara as I get out of the car, swinging my backpack over my shoulder and walking into my house.

My mom is there, shaking her head at me and looking at me like a piece of shit. "Your father said you seduced him again," she says, _tsk_ing at me and fiddling with the belt in her hand.

I narrow my eyes at her and try to remember that she's _not_ my mother. Not anymore.

"Ryu's not my father," I tell her, trying not to notice the belt in her hands, "He never has been and he never will be."

She whips the belt at my cheek, the crack of it so loud it reminds me of thunder. "He is your father _now,_ you little slut!" she screeches at me. She whips at me again, the metal part cutting into me.

The salt in my tears makes the cut sting even more. "My father is gone!" I yell at her, holding my cheek and feeling the blood seep through my fingers, "Face it, _Mom_! Ryu is _not _my father! He's not your precious Kyo!"

"How dare you say his name in this house!" she yells, her voice almost shattering my eardrums. She grabs my hair and pulls it at the root, socking my stomach and slapping my face. Her nails dig into the cut on my cheek, making it deeper and longer.

"Stop it!" I yell, fighting back and pulling her off of me, "I loved him too!" I hug myself and fall to my knees as her eyes bore into me, her breathing ragged and furious. "I loved him just as much as you did!" I yell, "I tried to make him stop just as much as you tried!"

Angry tears make their way into my eyes, mixing with the tears from a few minutes ago. "Daddy isn't here anymore," I told her, the same way I told myself years ago, "Daddy left us when he first got his hands on his precious meth. Daddy would've never done that to me. Not really."

She looks at me, like she's trying to process what I just said.

I take a shaky breath and continue. "You're not really my mommy anymore. Not really."

* * *

I knock on Temari's front door and I hear her yell, "Can you get that?"

I wipe the blood from my cheek with my sleeve and hug my arms close to myself. I remind myself that now is not the time to cry, remind myself that it's not really my mother lying in bed, crying her heart out in bed and thinking of new ways.

I try not to remember that Ryu's coming home with a brand new bag of pot, and that he'll share it with her so she'll forget everything.

I try not to remember she loves him more than she loves me.

The door swings open, and my heartbeat increases ten-fold and I have to remind myself to breathe.

I think it's a dream, like it's my mind playing a trick on me.

Like I don't see ebony black hair and onyx-colored eyes and almost unhealthy ivory-white skin.

He smiles at me gently, holding out his arms for me to walk into them.

"Sai," I breathe out, walking into his arms. I sob as he holds me, and Temari walks to the front door and sees us.

I expect her to scream and get mad and yell, but she doesn't.

She walks up to us and holds me too.

I sob harder, reminding myself that I'm a horrible friend and that I did nothing to deserve them. Reminding myself that it's her he loves and that it'll never be me and that it's selfish if me to even _think_ about him as anything as more than a friend.

And I hate how I have to remind myself to remember.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan," she whispers to me, stroking my hair and reminding me of who my mother used to be, "It'll always be okay."

I cry and sob, and I can't stop the little squeaks and animal noises coming out of the back of my throat.

She looks at Sai and he nods, picking me up and taking my racking body into the living room and placing me onto the sofa.

Gaara and Kankurou are there, looking at me with guilty eyes even though they've never done anything to hurt me.

I sob and I break down, just like every time it was my mom and not Ryu. I almost wanna laugh at the routine.

Temari's stroking my hair, Gaara and Kankurou are each holding one of my hands, but Sai's arm isn't on Temari's shoulder reassuringly anymore.

Instead, it's on mine, his eyes focusing on anything that isn't me, like he can't stand to see me like this.

And just this once, I don't want him to notice me.

* * *

Iruka-sensei sighs as he looks at Sai, shaking his head in slight-disappointment.

"It's a damn shame they let you back in here," he mutters under his breath, obviously referring to Sai's reputation, "I have enough trouble-makers in this class."

He looks my way and I turn around, pretending to not notice.

Sasuke, Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo aren't there, leaving Sai to sit in one of the many now-empty seats.

I expect him to sit with me, and I feel my face drop as he sits in a seat across the room. I plan to ask Temari what's wrong with him later today.

Sasuke and the others come in, sitting in their seats, Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo more hostile towards Sai than they should be.

I notice Sai tense up, like there's something bothering him, and his brow furrows in concentration.

I turn to Sasuke with a questioning look, planning to ask him to find out what's wrong with Sai, but he seems to be planning ahead.

"I can't read him," he automatically replies, eyes narrowing and voice hardening, "This isn't good."

"Why not?" I whisper to him, trying not to be so loud in the middle of class, "Is there something wrong with his memories?"

He shakes his head, looking at me as Iruka-sensei writes something on the board. "If I can't read him, that means Karin can't either," he explains, shaking his head in what seems like disbelief, "That means none of us can. He's completely impervious to our powers."

"How?" I ask, obviously amazed, "Is he magic or something?"

"Worse," he says, shaking his head in frustration, "He's a hunter."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I seem to have a knack for ending that nobody sees coming.

I'm good at those aren't I?

Oh, and for all the people that just _have _to know why Sai's acting like an ass and what an 'ementra' is, just wait for more chapters.

Seriously.

And if you want me to hurry up so you can find out, a review serves as a pretty good adrenaline rush.

Tokki-Trigger, OVER!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Here it is kiddies, the _fifth _installment of 'Bloom'. It's kind of amazing how fast it went by. It's like keeping track of _wind_. Ah, well. It is what it is. So have fun with this chapter and give me feedback, okay?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, 'Tainted Love' by Marylin Manson, or a piece of graph paper. Remember that while you read this, okay?

* * *

Chapter Five

If I Wanted You to Protect Me

"Hey, Temari-chan," I say, looking at her confused, "Why aren't you and Sai hanging out anymore?"

"Sai and I aren't getting back together, Sakura-chan," Temari says to me, looking guilty and hurt, "I'm sorry."

"You're not?" I ask, looking up from the magazine I'm flipping through on her bed, "Why not?

She smiles to herself a little bitterly. "I can't do it anymore, Sakura," she says, shaking her head, "I can't be second place again."

"So?" I ask her, my heart lighting up so hopefully I want to hate myself, "You can't let that stop you!"

"Stop it," she says to me, her eyes slightly hardening, "Stop trying to use me."

"Use you?" I ask her, obviously confused, "What do you mean 'use you'?"

"I can't leash up Sai, Sakura," she sighs and the slight narrow of her eyes is almost unnoticeable, "Stop using me to keep him in your life."

"Temari-chan," I say, shaking my head in denial, "I'd never--"

"I know you don't mean to," she says, her eyes now softening, "But you did use me. You don't even need to."

"What do you mean?" I ask her, wondering what she means.

She smiles at me again, bitter but still holding back everything she wants to say to me for my sake. "I told you that I can't be second place anymore."

My eyes widen and my breath catches in my throat.

I run out the door, and she doesn't come after me.

* * *

I wind up at Sasuke's house. How I got there, I don't even know.

I didn't want to be there, but it's like I was dragged there by my own two feet.

Like he knows I was gonna be there, Sasuke is waiting for me, leaning casually on the porch with his arms crossed.

I sigh. He knows what happened. I can tell because as soon as he hears me, his eyes open.

"So who's power did you use to get me here?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow, "Juugo? Suigetsu? Karin, maybe?"

He chuckles. "Karin's a mind-reader," he replies casually, "And Juugo can copy someone's powers."

"So that leaves Suigetsu, I guess," I say, shrugging, "What did you need me for?"

He shrugs. "Naruto thought you needed a hand."

"He was spying on me?" I ask, crossing my arms and walking onto the porch.

"We all were," he says, like it's nothing, "Well, all of us except Karin."

"That's great," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes, "So I guess you guys know about Temari."

"She seems... nice," he says, thinking of a word to describe her.

"It's not her fault," I say, narrowing my eyes at him.

"You're right," he says, nodding, "It's your fault that hunter's not in love with her."

"No it isn't!" I yell, defensively, "I didn't do anything!"

"Yeah," he says, pretending to agree with me, "But he fell in love with you anyway. You didn't have to."

"Why are you trying to guilt trip me?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not," he says, shrugging, "I'm just trying to tell you that your hunter's bad news."

"He's not mine, remember?" I ask him expectantly.

"He might as well be," he sighs, "Or he already is."

* * *

"When are you gonna start talking to that Temari girl again?" Sasuke asks me, crossing his arms from the floor, "It's been two weeks."

I sit on my bed, silently thanking whatever is out there that neither of my parents are there. "I dunno," I reply, shrugging my shoulders, "Gaara says that she wants to apologize to me, even though it's my fault."

"So why don't you let her?" he asks me with a raised eyebrow, "Are you just being hard-headed?"

I sigh. "I don't know what I would say to her when she apologizes."

We say nothing for a while and he looks around my room. The pounding music of 'Tainted Love' by Marilyn Manson invades all my senses and I sing along.

He looks at me, studying me just as much as he always has even though I'm an open book to him.

"I'm thirsty," he says to me.

"There's water in the kitchen," I say, looking at him.

"No," he replies, shaking his head and looking into my eyes, "I'm _thirsty._"

I freeze and notice the color of his eyes.

Ruby red with onyx black irises, inviting you in and flashing promises of ecstasy and euphoria.

"Do you need to find a squirrel or something?" I ask him as he stands up.

He walks over to me and sits down right next to me, placing his hands onto my bare shoulders.

I notice they're warm, not the ice cold I thought they would be.

"You don't really believe that we can drink from animals, do you?" he asks me, moving all my hair onto one shoulder, "Hm, _Sa-ku-ra_?"

The way he says my name leads shivers down my spine, the imprint of the crimson red of his eyes a permanent burn in my head.

He notices that I tense as he inhales my scent. "Do you trust me?" he asks, and the way he asks me makes me wanna tell him to drink all he wants.

"I'm not your lunch," I tell him, but I can't seem to make my body move.

"Just a little taste," he says to me, his voice getting husky as he moves his lips to whisper into my ear, "Not enough to hurt. Not enough to make a difference."

He scrapes his fangs against the flesh between my neck and shoulder, dragging his tongue on my skin.

I shudder, my breath catching in my throat as I think about my options.

Should I deny him a little taste or take the chance of him not stopping?

I tilt my head to grant him easier access to my pulse and he slides down the strap of my tank top.

The promised euphoria pours into my bloodstream as his fangs break the skin, and the bite feels the same as Suigetsu's, flooding every single ounce of my reality with an adrenaline rush so powerful I tilt my head back in silent rapture.

I gasp and listen to his gulping, that being the only sound I can hear.

Soon, it's over, and so is the rush.

No more goosebumps, no more shivers and no more euphoria.

Sasuke slides the strap of my tank top back on and moves away from me and back to the floor.

He picks up his leather jacket and puts it on. "Put on your jacket," he says, looking at me expectantly, "We're going to my house." He throws me my favorite red and black striped jacket with the cat ears.

I catch it and look at him confused. "Why?"

"You're parents are gonna be here in a few minutes," he replies, and that's all he needs to tell me.

We climb out the window and into his car, taking off at his trademark speed of 105.

"Why don't you ever get tickets?" I ask him.

He chuckles, but suddenly tenses.

I realize he's staring at the car Ryu drives and I tense up too.

I'm glad his windows are so heavily tinted.

* * *

"Eventually, we'll have to leave here, Sakura-chan," says Kakashi, not moving his eyes from the TV and sighing, "TV isn't as good as it used to be."

"I know you will," I say, nodding, "You guys travel from country to country, don't you?"

"The normal ones do," says Naruto, nodding.

"There's such a thing as _normal _vampires?" I ask, my jaw-dropping.

"Are you trying to catch flies?" Sasuke asks me, rolling his eyes, "Close your mouth."

I semi-glare at him. "Where do you guys travel?"

"W-we l-l-like to tr-travel through d-dimensions, S-sakura-chan," stutters Hinata, pushing her index fingers together.

"Dimensions?" I ask, looking at all of them, "How?"

It takes me a while to notice that Kakashi has a twinkle in his single visible eye.

"You can travel through dimensions?" I ask, looking at him and disbelief.

"He can travel through time, too," says Juugo, almost jealously.

"Then how did you guys follow them if it's Kakashi's power?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion.

Sasuke sighs. "Do you listen to me at all?" he asks with a raised eyebrow, "I told you that Juugo can copy anyone's power."

"Shit," I say, trying to remember, "I _do_ need to listen to you, don't I?"

Karin scoffs, obviously sensitive about the extra time I spend with Sasuke.

"Ementra," she mutters under her breath.

"Karin!" snaps Sasuke, slightly glaring.

"Leech," I seethe, narrowing my eyes at her.

She stares into my eyes and her own eyes widen.

She looks at Sasuke like she's gonna cry. "You drank from her?" she asks, like it's the worst thing possible.

Suigetsu's head snaps to Sasuke like lightning, while everybody else's eyes widen.

He shrugs, still semi-glaring at Karin.

She launches herself at me, screeching. "You fucking slut!"

"What the fuck, bitch?!" I yell, trying to get her to let go of my hair.

Suddenly, she's thrown across the room and pinned to the sofa by Suigetsu.

Sasuke is standing in front of me with Naruto and Hinata on either side of me.

"Karin!" yells Suigetsu while she screams and thrashes, "Calm your ass down!"

"He _drank_ from her, Suigetsu!" she yells, clawing at him, "From that piece of ementra trash!"

Suigetsu looks into her eyes, and just like that, she's calm and still.

I stare at him, but he doesn't even turn to look at me.

My stare turns questioning, and he wills himself to turn farther away.

"After all this time," he says, looking at Karin even though he's talking to me, "I'm still yours."

* * *

"Hinata-chan?" I ask, looking at her as she chops celery, "What's an ementra?"

She gasps and she accidentally cuts her finger. Her reflexes kick in next and her bleeding finger is in between her lips, sucking the blood away.

Her eyes go from pearl white to light pink to ruby red as her finger stays between her lips.

"Should I call Naruto?" I ask her, my mind reeling from seeing a vampire feed on herself.

She shakes her head quickly, and I barely notice how much my scent may be affecting her.

I consider letting her drink from me, just for one more rush, but decide against it.

Naruto is suddenly with her taking her by the waist and leading her out of the kitchen.

Juugo is left in the kitchen with me.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," he greets, nodding at me.

"Where are Sasuke and Suigetsu?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

"Sedating Karin," he replies, sighing, "On behalf of my cousin, I apologize."

"Oh, this?" I ask, looking at the now purple-greenish bruise blooming on my right arm, "It's nothing. It should go away in a few days."

He nods at me, obviously unconvinced. "May I ask what you said to Hinata to make her jumpy?" he asks.

"I just asked her what an ementra was," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

His eyes widen, and I only now notice that they're green, a nice, pale jade.

"An ementra," he starts, unsure of how to continue, "Means nothing."

"Nothing?" I ask him, tilting my head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"She's calling you worthless," says Sasuke, suddenly leaning on the door frame, "Like less than trash and worst than dirt. _Nothing._"

"Why?" I ask him, confused, "What did I ever do to her?"

"You're human," says Sasuke, shrugging his shoulders, "And I still chose to drink from you before I drank from her."

"Is that bad?" I ask him, still confused, "I though vampires need to feed to live."

"We do," he nods, "But Karin and I have been 'engaged' for centuries. It's one thing to drink from prey, but another to drink from a friend."

"So you drinking from me insulted her?" I ask him, making sure I got the point.

They both nod at me, and I try to resist the urge to laugh.

It comes out as a scoff. "That's stupid," I say.

"It makes you a potential mate, Sakura-chan," says Juugo, watching my reaction, "That makes you a threat to Karin."

"Do you even like her at all?" I ask Sasuke, raising an eyebrow.

He shakes his head no, and it takes me a while to believe him.

"Why won't you fall in love with her?" I ask him, wondering why they just won't get it over with.

He sighs. "Because I'm too busy loving someone else."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Cliffie kids! Damn. I bet you didn't see that coming either, huh? Am I good, or am I good?

Oh, send me the answer in a review!

Pretty please?

Tokki Trigger, PEACE!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Hey there! Thanks for sticking around long enough to read chapter six of 'Bloom'. I thank all of my reviewers, even though there aren't many, for all of their support and for asking me to keep updating. I especially thank Laila, who even created an account and decided to call in Rosasfangirl101. I felt so special! *TEARS* Anyway, feel free to enjoy and review and refer to anyone.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or '21 Guns' by Green Day. It kinda makes me wanna kill myself.

* * *

Chapter Six

To Learn the Truth and Not Believe You

I sit in class, doodling in the sketch book in my lap and not paying attention.

Sasuke is sitting next to me, staring at the board even though he knows everything. He seems bored, on the edge of falling asleep (which I found out vampires need to do) and he's not even trying to hide the fact.

"Are you going home today?" he asks me, half-asleep and not even turning around.

"No," I say, shaking my head, "But I can't stay at Temari's yet."

He turns to look at me this time. "You two still aren't on speaking terms?"

"Do you really have to ask?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow and stopping my doodling.

"Stay with us," he says, turning away again, "Just until you're talking to her again."

"It's fine," I reply, noticing Karin stiffen. Heightened senses must come in handy. "I can find somewhere to stay."

"Spending money on cheap hotels every night doesn't count as somewhere to stay," he replies, rolling his eyes, "Say yes or we kidnap you."

"But Karin," I say, resisting the urge to whine.

"Can mind her own fucking business," he finishes for me, sighing, "Just get your stuff ready and get your ass at our house."

This time, I notice Suigetsu stiffen. I can tell Sasuke notices too, but he doesn't say anything and his expression is sill the same.

"Are you gonna drive?" I ask him, ignoring both Suigetsu and Karin.

"Well," he begins, pretending to think it over, "Seeing as you don't have your license..."

"I get it," I say, rolling my eyes at him.

"Let's go somewhere tonight," he says, looking at me determined, "After we drop off your stuff at the house and I take my sun-resisting potion."

"A movie or something?" I ask him, confused.

"Anywhere," he says quickly, "I wanna spend money. Let's splurge a little."

"It must be nice being rich," I sigh dreamily, "You guys have no worries."

"Yeah," he replies, rolling his eyes yet again, "The only bad thing that could happen is everyone finding out our secret."

"If you keep rolling your eyes, they're gonna get stuck like that," I say, pretending to scold him.

He rolls his eyes again to annoy me. "Yes, mother."

* * *

We ride at 110 an hour, Sasuke completely 'splurging' on everything: speed, gas, money, buying both of us clothes, and having lunch and dinner at the most expensive restaurants, even though we only order appetizers.

We drive through the city, the outside being a complete blur as we pass trees and people and stores and houses.

We parallel park in between a Volvo SC90 Concept and a 2010 Odyssey, smooth and flawless, like he's a professional, and step out of the car wearing our heavily tinted sunglasses.

We look super cool, him in his black leather jacket, black shirt, blue jeans and combat boots, and me in my black and white Converse, fishnets with a mid-thigh leather skirt, red shirt and a jacket with lot of zippers.

He sighs, not tensing and not pausing his walk. "Somebody's following us," he says, his voice so low I have to strain to hear it.

"Who?" I ask him, not even turning around.

"Your hunter," he says, sighing, "Looks like he's stalking you."

"Or hunting _you,_" I hiss, still not giving away my cool, "Or maybe he's just taking a stroll around and--"

I almost scream as Sasuke grabs me and pulls me behind him as he turns to face Sai, who I just notice is about to grab my arm.

"What you do you want, hunter?" Sasuke hisses, narrowing his eyes.

The people around us are completely oblivious to the danger around them.

Sai completely ignores him, giving the best poker face I have ever seen.

"You don't go home anymore, Sakura," he says to me.

It's a statement, not a question. He knows something's up.

"No," I say, shaking my head, "I don't."

"And you know my secret," he says, shaking his head in slight disappointment, "I have to get rid of them."

Sasuke pushes me further behind him.

"If you become one of them," he says, eying me suspiciously, "I won't hesitate."

"You think a hunter like you can get rid of us?" Sasuke sneers, "Even if you get rid of my family, there'll be millions more."

Sai keeps his eyes solely on me, like he's studying me.

"He drank from you," Sai says in a flat, monotone voice, "I can sense it, Sakura. You can become one of them now."

I can feel all the color leave my face. The mark from the bite has been gone for weeks.

"Hunters have their own set of powers to," he says, noticing my shock, "But unlike the leeches, all of our powers are the same."

"That's because hunters aren't meant to exist," Sasuke says.

Sai glances at Sasuke once, before turning back to me with a look of determination I've never seen before.

"I love you, Sakura," he says, his onyx-colored eyes so sure I almost faint.

I grab Sasuke's arm and walk up to Sai. "I know," I tell him, my voice quiet but I'm sure he heard me.

Sasuke and I walk back to his car a few feet away, get in, and drive off.

I don't need to turn around to know Sai is still there.

And when we get home, I run into my new room and cry.

* * *

"Hurry up, you fucking ementra!" Karin's voice screeches, slightly muffled my the door, "We're gonna be fucking late for school!"

I've been living with Sasuke and his family for a few weeks, still slightly getting used to them feeding regularly.

And by regularly, I mean every three days.

How I didn't notice for so long is beyond me.

Apparently, all vampires can erase the memories of the human they drink from.

"It's to help us from being discovered," Kakashi explained to me after he said good bye to his date last night, "Humans aren't supposed to remember the feeling."

"Shut the fuck up, Karin!" I snap, getting irritated by her voice while brushing my hair, "I don't have super fucking speed like you guys do!"

"What did you say, ementra?!" she screeches, so loud that I can almost feel my ears bleed, "Don't you fucking talk to me like that!"

"Shut up, Karin!" snaps Suigetsu before I can, "The world's not about to fucking end!"

"Fuck you, Suigetsu!" she screams shrilly, and I'm amazed she hasn't woken up the whole block, "You're only getting in this because you still fucking love the bi--!"

"Karin," hisses Sasuke threateningly, "If you finish that word, I swear I'll let the hunter get you."

"Stop protecting your little human trash," Karin hisses to him, obviously jealous, "You're engaged to _me._ Not her."

I can feel Sasuke narrowing his eyes at her. "Only until one of us mates."

There's something behind Sasuke's threat that makes me shiver, a cold chill wrapping it's hands around my spine.

I can't hear Karin say anything through the door and I walk into the hall, surprised to see both Sasuke and Suigetsu there.

"Who's car are we taking today?" I ask him, trying to avoid all things Karin.

"You and I," says Sasuke, looking at Suigetsu but talking to me, "Are riding in my car. Suigetsu and the others are riding with Naruto."

I shrug as we walk into the kitchen and I grab a green apple from the counter top. "Why don't you ever ride with the others?"

Sasuke shrugs at me as we separate from Suigetsu and walk out of the kitchen and get into the car. "Naruto drives too slow."

"I thought all of you guys liked adrenaline rush," I say, looking at him.

"We do," he nods, starting the car, "But Naruto gets his a different way."

The car radio turns on, the familiar melody of '21 Guns' by Green Day making its way into my ears. I sing along at the top of my lungs:

_Do you know what's worth dying for when it's not worth dying for?  
Does it take your breath away and you feel yourself suffocating?  
Does the pain weigh out the pride as you look for a place to hide?  
Did someone break your heart inside?  
You're in ruins._

I sighs as Sasuke keeps his eyes on the road, drumming on the steering wheel along with the songs rhythm. This time, he sings with me:

_One, 21 guns  
Lay down your arms  
Give up the fight  
One, 21 guns  
Throw up your arms into the sky  
You and I_

This song makes me think about Temari, about how we're in a fight and how she wants to say sorry even though she hasn't done anything wrong. It makes me hate myself a little more.

_When you're at the end of the road and you lost all sense of control  
And your thoughts have taken their toll. When your thoughts break the spirit of your soul  
Your faith walks on broken glass and the hangover doesn't pass  
Nothing's ever made to last  
You're in ruins_

I close my eyes and bob my head to match the beat of Sasuke's tapping.

_One, 21 guns  
Lay down your arms  
Give up the fight  
One, 21 guns  
Throw up your arms into the sky  
You and I_

I think of everything that's ever gone wrong, not just with my life but with my world. It makes me feel kind of depressed but I know everything's gonna work out eventually.

_Did you try to live on your own when you burned down the house and home?  
Did you stand too close to the fire like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?  
When it's time to live and let die and you can't get another try  
Something inside this heart has died  
You're in ruins_

I try not to think about anything.

Not about Temari or Sai or Sasuke or my dad or my mom or Ryu.

Not now.

_One, 21 guns  
Lay down your arms  
Give up the fight  
One, 21 guns  
Throw up your arms into the sky  
You and I_

As the song ends, I realize we're half way to the school.

"You should talk to her, you know," says Sasuke, looking at me the way he can even though he's driving.

"I know," I nod, biting my lower lip in thought, "Trust me, I'm working on it."

"I know you are," he nods, looking back at the road.

The school day goes by like a blur, but at lunch I'm called to the office.

I see him there, looking at me with what I think is regret in his eyes and I freeze.

He looks exactly the same, like no time has passed at all.

Like nothing ever happened.

He shouldn't be here, not around people and not around me.

But he is, his once proud stance now ashamed and slightly tame.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss, narrowing my eyes at him.

"We need to talk," he says, not looking me in the eye, "Nice to see your well fed."

"I make it by," I say, my hardened voice not changing at all, "We have _nothing_ to talk about."

"Please, Sakura," he pleads, guilt swimming into his eyes, "Just give me time to explain."

I sigh, and text Sasuke saying he won't be seeing me until later tonight.

* * *

I get home and immediately rush into my room, grabbing my small suitcase and putting all my stuff into it.

Sasuke is at the door, leaning against its frame with an expectant look on his face.

"Well?" he asks me, his tone obviously annoyed.

"Well, what?" I ask, purposely avoiding looking into his eyes so he can't read my memories.

"Well where are you going?" he asks, and I can feel him rolling his eyes at me even though my back is turned.

"I'm moving out," I tell him, still not bothering to turn around, "Tell Kakashi that I'm thankful for everything."

"I assume you're staying with Temari and her family then?" he asks me.

"No," I say, shaking my head as I fold my shirts into the suitcase, "Not Temari's."

"Then you're going back home?" he asks, now frustrated.

"No," I say, scoffing, "That'd be insane."

"The hunter's house?" he guesses, his voice hardening at the thought.

"No, I'm not staying at Sai's either," I tell him, trying to avoid telling him.

I grab my suitcase and walk to the door where he standing.

He straightens up, creating a barrier between me and my way out.

"Sakura," he says, almost threateningly.

I sigh and look into his eyes. "I'm staying with my dad."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Drama alert! Ha ha. More like better drama. Bet you didn't think her dad was gonna be there, did you? Ha ha. I'm good like that!

So I hope you had fun reading and don't forget to review and refer me to other readers, kids!

Tokki Trigger, AWAY!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Chapter seven! Whoo! Sorry it took so long your guys! I've just had a lot to do, and I'm just about ready to wrap this baby up with four or five more chapter. Six if I get more reviews. Oh, and you'll never guess what kind of juicy stuff happens in this chapter! No, really. You won't. Not even I did. Ha ha. Remember to enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that has to do with Naruto. At all. I also don't own 'Creep' by Radiohead. But I own Sayuri and Ryu and Kyo! Which makes me feel even worse.

* * *

Chapter Seven

To Try to Care and Not Succeed

Gaara stands in front of my the door of my English class, one of the many classes I don't have with Sasuke.

"What's up?" I ask him, obviously confused.

"You're living with your father," he says.

I look at him oddly. "Sai told you."

"He did," he says, confirming my suspicions.

"And?" I ask him, trying to figure out what else he needs.

"It's a bad idea," he says, as if it were obvious.

"I know," I say, nodding my head, "But I also know what I'm getting myself into."

"No, you don't," he says, shaking his head at me like I'm a child, "You haven't seen him for years, Sakura."

I nod at him again and sigh. "Look, Gaara, I know you guys are looking out for me," I tell him, touching his arm, "But I need to find out how he is now. On my own."

"When are you telling your mother?" he asks me, making his voice completely apathetic.

I shake my head at him. "I don't plan to tell my mother anything about him," I laugh bitterly to myself, "It's not like she gives a damn anyway."

"She's still your mother," he tells me, trying to sound like the reasonable one.

"You guys didn't want me anywhere near her a few weeks ago," I tell him, scoffing.

"But we also don't want you anywhere near your father," he says, voice hardening, "Sorry to say we'd rather have you live with your mother or the Uchiha."

I feel my eyes widen as I look up at him.

He scoffs at me, a little cold-heartedly. "You really think we didn't know?" he asks me, raising an eyebrow, "We didn't even need Sai to figure out that one."

The bell rings and he looks at me expectantly.

I freeze. "I need to go."

* * *

I stay quiet in the car as Sasuke drives me home, or to my new home at least.

"So," he starts, noticing my silence, "When do I get to meet your dad?"

I scoff at him and roll my eyes. "And why the hell would you wanna do that?"

He says nothing, but makes a U-turn, his speed not even faltering.

"What the hell Sasuke?!" I screech at him, whacking him on the back of the head.

"Shut up, Sakura," he tells me, "You're so annoying."

"If I'm so annoying, why don't you just go back to the direction of my house?!" I yell at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

He turns on the radio and lets the sound of 'Creep' by Radiohead floods into both of our ears.

"We're going on a date," he tells me.

And I can honestly say that I didn't see that one coming.

"A date?" I echo, my eyes widening.

He sighs at me. "Yes," he says, nodding his head, "A date."

It takes me a few minutes to process it in my mind. "But why?" I ask him.

He shrugs his shoulders in a 'I-don't-care' fashion. "Because I said so."

"Because you said so?!" I yell, blowing up at him, "You can't be serious!"

He looks at me blankly. "When have I been anything but serious?" he asks.

I sigh and shake my head at him. "Why today?"

He sighs at me this time. "Because I know that ginger came up to you today," he says.

"Ginger?" I ask him, obviously confused, "The fuck is a ginger?"

"The red-head," he tells me, obviously amazed at my lack of knowledge, "The youngest triplet."

"Oh," I say, finally getting it, "But how do you know? You didn't look into my eyes or anything."

He keeps quiet and I suddenly know something's up.

"You told him to come up to me, didn't you?" I ask in obvious disbelief, "Didn't you?"

He says nothing and I shake my head at him.

"What the fuck is your problem, Sasuke?!" I yell. I seem to be yelling a lot today. "He's my _father_!"

"He hasn't been for the past four years, Sakura!" he yells back, slapping the dashboard, but I know he's holding back because it hasn't broken.

I feel myself crying and try not to break down. _Again._

"Pull over," I tell him, trying to calm down.

He sighs at me and tries to calm himself down too. "Sakura," he says, "Look, I'm sorry--"

"Just pull the fuck over, Sasuke!" I tell him, putting my bag over my shoulder.

He pulls over at the sidewalk and I get out of the car, slamming the door behind me.

He drives off, I barely notice where I am now._ In front of Sai's apartment._

I take a deep breath and take the elevator to Sai's floor and knock once I get to his door.

He answers, and he's not wearing a shirt and there's water on his chest. He just got out of the shower. His body look like it was sculpted from marble and he's not surprised to see me.

He holds out his arms like he always does, and I walk into them.

I didn't leave that night.

* * *

As Sai and I walk out of his apartment, I see Sasuke, waiting for me at the curb.

Sai tenses as we walk up to him. "What the hell are you doing here, leech?" he asks Sasuke, clenching his fists.

Sasuke is as stoic as usual, frustrating to the point that he makes me want to hit him too.

"I'm here to pick up my human," Sasuke finally says, looking at me, "Get in the car, Sakura."

I look at him angrily. "I'm _not _anyone's human," I tell him.

"I marked you," Sasuke says, smirking arrogantly, "And I feed from you regularly." He crosses his arms. "Therefore, you are my donor."

I narrow my eyes at him, and think of something that'll really bruise his ego.

"I was Suigetsu's _first,_" I tell him, not backing down, "And then I was Sai's." I know I'm taking my chances with the last line. "You were _last_."

He looks at me, and the look in his eyes tells me that I hit a sore spot. "But you're mine now," he tells me, moving over to open the passenger side door, "Now get in."

No matter how mad I am at Sasuke, and no matter how much I love Sai, he's my present now.

So not looking at Sai, I walk away from him, and get into Sasuke's car.

I don't need to look through the mirror to feel Sai's betrayed gaze on me.

Sasuke gets in the car, closes the door, and starts it up.

"I'm sorry," I tell him, keeping my eyes on the speedometer, and he's at a normal speed for once.

He says nothing, but I know he forgives me.

"I don't care about being your first," he tells me, his eyes not looking at me, "And I don't care about being your last. Right now, I care about being your only."

"You know I can't give you that," I tell him, sighing, "Not yet. Not after the night with Sai."

"Did you enjoy it?" he asks me, his eyes not looking at me.

I turn away and look into the passenger view mirror.

Sai's still on the curb, still looking at us drive away.

I sigh and my heart feels heavy. "I don't know."

* * *

"Daddy?" I say, throwing my bag on the floor.

I hear the engine of Sasuke's car drive away and I wonder where my dad is.

"Daddy?" I call again.

"I'm in the kitchen, Sakura," he calls, "Come here. We need to talk."

I walk into the kitchen and freeze at the sight.

My mom is there, sitting across from him.

But so is Ryu.

My eyes narrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that the way to talk to your mother, you disgusting little girl?" she scoffs mockingly.

I turn to my father and stare at him hard. "Why did you let them in here?"

He shrugs guiltily at me and I wonder where my old father has gone.

"They said they wanted to talk to you," he says, checking my reaction.

"You don't know why I didn't want you with your father, do you?" asks my mother, smirking.

"You said you wouldn't say anything, Sayuri," he says, almost pleadingly.

"Come now, Kyo," says Ryu, cruel intent evident in his eyes, "We can't keep hiding it forever, now can we?"

"Shut your mouth, Ryu!" yells my father, obviously angry.

"Your dear father is bipolar," my mother says, looking victorious as she watches my father's reaction.

I look at my father, more afraid of him than I've ever been.

Is that why he kept hurting me?

Because he's sick?

And what did the meth do to him?

Did it just fuck him up even more?

All these things run around my head and I run out of the door.

I already know where I'm going.

* * *

I somehow always find myself on Sasuke's door step.

Always find myself realizing he's the only one I can run to.

And the only one I want to run to.

I feel like I've gotten myself into something big.

Too big.

And it makes me wanna run away.

But I know I'll end up running here again. I always do.

"We were just having dinner," he tells me, and how hungry I am just occurs to me.

"Jesus, is that fucking ementra here again?" Karin whines in the dining room, "I thought we were gonna have a nice dinner."

"Karin," I hear Kakashi say tiredly, "Either shut the fuck up or leave."

She huffs and crosses her arms, pouting.

"Sorry for intruding, Kakashi," I say, bowing politely.

"No, no," he says, waving it off, "It's fine." I see his visible eye crinkle a little, telling me that he's smiling.

"Are you all right?" Suigetsu asks me, concern flooding his lavender-colored eyes.

"No," I say, shaking my head, and it's the response everybody expected, "But I will be."

Dinner's over like a blur and as soon as he's done, Sasuke's up and headed upstairs. He looks at me expectantly.

"You coming or not?"

I nod at him dumbly and follow him upstairs.

* * *

I don't go home for the next few days, and I'm not sure if my fear of my father is the reason for that.

I can now admit that I am at least attracted to Sasuke. I'm his donor after all.

I could care less whether anyone else knows or not.

But I at least want him to know.

Besides, it's not like he's subtle about his attraction to me.

I go up to his door ready to knock, and when I do, he opens it.

"Hey," he greets, nodding at me.

"Hey," I tell him, and my heart throbs in my chest even though it's not the first time I've done something like this, "I like you."

He looks at me blankly and nods his head. "I know," he says, eyes boring into me, but he's not looking into my memories, "But not as much as you love the hunter."

"No," I say, shaking my head almost guiltily, "Not yet."

"I can wait," he tells me, and I can actually hear the determination in his voice.

"Wait for something that might not really happen?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

He nods and I almost freeze in shock. There's no way he can be this cool about it.

And then it hits me.

"You still love her," I say, referring to the girl he mentioned a long time ago, "The girl that's stopping you from mating with Karin."

He scoffs a little. "Even if I didn't love her, I wouldn't love Karin."

"How long are you guys staying in this dimension and century, anyway?" I ask him, now walking into his room.

"A few years," he says, looking at me, "A long enough time to wait if you ask me."

He's looking at me, and he's tense all over.

I know that look. I sigh. "Are you thirsty?" I ask, walking up to him.

"Yeah," he says nodding, "But you haven't fully recovered since last time. I know I'm greedy, but I'm not gonna take all your blood."

"Well, I'm not gonna let you dehydrate," I tell him, moving all my hair onto my other shoulder, "Drink."

"No," he says, his voice husky, and I can tell he's debating in his head.

"Now," I say sternly, and I push his head down onto my throat.

I feel the fangs sink in, protruding my skin and tearing it open, and instead of pain, it's ecstasy, like some kinky little drug meant only for this kind of moment.

My breath catches in my throat, just like every other time, and the crash of euphoria is familiar to me, but I know I could never get used to it.

My nails dig into his shoulders, knowing it can't hurt him I can't hear anything but his gulping, and then he's done.

"You weren't breathing," he tells me as the wound closes up on its own, "After your breath caught in your throat, you just kinda stopped."

I look at the terrified expression on his face questioningly.

"I thought I killed you," he tells me, trying to his his face, "But then I felt you clawing into my shoulders."

"You thought you killed me?" I echo, obviously shocked, "I didn't even notice I stopped breathing."

"Notice next time," he snaps at me, obviously mad at himself, "I don't know if I will."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, isn't that the cutest little thing!

Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy and want to review?

I bet it does!

Ha ha. hanks for making it this far with me guys. I owe you a lot. In my care, R&R doesn't mean read and review. It's more like, review and refer.

So do me a favor and do just that, won't you?

Tokki Trigger, LAND HO!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** AH! I _finally _finished another chapter! Aren't you guys proud of me? Sorry it took so long though. I'm a little out there now-a-days. Anyway, read and refer for me, all right?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters. The belong to Kishimoto-sama, although I do own Hana, Sayuri, Kyo and Ryu, okay?

* * *

Chapter Eight

When the Past Meets the Present

I haven't been home in the past few days still, and I wonder whether my dad worries about me or not.

I'm only semi-sure he does.

Kakashi and Sasuke are in a screaming match, and I'm not sure what they're screaming about.

Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo are with them, leaving me completely alone in Sasuke's room.

Why I'm not in mine, I'll never know.

Karin has joined in the yelling, and now Suigetsu has too.

I can hear Juugo, but he's trying to keep his voice quiet and still trying to be heard.

"Just let him come over, Sasuke-kun!" Karin yells, and I don't need to see her to know she's crossing her arms.

"No, Karin!" I hear Sasuke snap, slamming a fist on the table. I hear it break, crumble, just like that. "He's gonna take her away!"

"She's not Hana!" Kakashi yells at him, losing his temper, "Stop acting so selfish!"

Naruto jumps into the conversation too, yelling like them, and I hear somebody walking up the stairs to this room.

"Sakura-chan?" says Hinata, walking in, "Are you okay in here?"

I smile at her. "Of course I am, Hinata-chan," I say, patting the spot on the bed next to me, "Why aren't you with Naruto?"

She sighs as she sits next to me. "When you're with someone for two centuries, you eventually run out of things to talk about."

I nod, like I know what she means even though I really have no idea. "So who's Hana?"

She suddenly tenses and looks at me like I know something I'm not supposed to. "Where did you hear that name?"

"They keep yelling about her downstairs," I shrug, "Who is she?"

Hinata sighs. "It's not my story to tell, Sakura-chan," she tells me,watching my reaction, "I'm of no right to tell you."

I don't notice the yelling downstairs has stopped until Sasuke walks into his room.

He looks at Hinata and she nods back, standing up from the bed, "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan."

I nod at her and smile as Sasuke sits down next to me, his arms behind his head as he leans on the head board.

He watches me and I look at him expectantly.

He sighs and sits up straight. "Somebody's coming to visit us," he tells me.

"Who?" I ask him, tilting my head at him in confusion.

"That's not important," he tells me, shaking his head.

"Who?" I say again and he stays quiet. "_Who_?"

He looks me straight in the eye, not bothering to read my memories but studying my reaction.

"My parents," he says, but his voice tells me there's more to it.

"_And?" _I ask, looking at him with an expectant eyebrow.

"My brother."

* * *

They stand in front of the door, and I bow politely to them.

"You must be Sakura-chan," his mother says, smiling sweetly at me.

"Yes," I say, nodding, "Nice to meet you, Uchiha-san."

"I'll have none of that," she tells me, waving it off, "Call me Mikoto."

"Mikoto-san?" I offer, confused.

"_Mikoto." _she says, finally, "And this is my husband, Fugaku."

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura," he says, his eyes stone cold and hard, "Just call me Fugaku."

There's somebody with them, somebody who wasn't in the flashback that Sasuke showed me.

"Hi," I say, smiling, "I'm Sakura."

He looks at me with those eyes. Black and empty, darker than Sasuke's and more _devouring_ than swallowing.

I hold my hand out for him to shake, and I feel Sasuke glare a hole between us.

"Itachi," he says blankly, taking my hand and placing a kiss on my hand, "Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke's arm grabs my shoulder and pulls me back a bit, just enough to get away from Itachi.

"Nii-san," he greets through gritted teeth.

"Otouto," Itachi nods, still blank.

Sasuke squeezes my arm a little tighter, and I wince a little.

"You're hurting your donor," Itachi tells him, still blank.

Sasuke's hand immediately leaves my shoulder, slightly panicked. "I'm sorry," he mutters quickly and I sigh to myself.

This is gonna be a long night.

* * *

"Stop being so tense about it," I scold him, narrowing my eyes, "They've been gone for days."

He sighs, but stops being so tense.

"Speaking of being gone for days," he says, looking at me, "When are you going back home?"

I scoff and roll my eyes at him. "If you want me gone, then just say so."

"I just asked you when," he says, smirking.

I sigh. "Tonight," I tell him, but I don't want to and he knows it.

"Do you want me to drive you?" he asks me, looking at where I am.

"No," I say, shaking my head at him. "I've been gone for weeks. Having you there would make it complicated."

"Don't you want your father to know you're my donor?" he asks me jokingly.

"Oh, now you wanna have a sense of humor."

* * *

I stand in front of the door, taking a deep breath and trying to calm my heart rate.

I open it, trying not to find the creaking noise scary. "Daddy?" I call inside, "Are you home?"

"Sakura?" I hear him call from the kitchen, "Are you finally home?"

"Yeah," I say, walking into the same room as him, "Are you--"

I freeze as I look at the knife in his hand, a big slicing knife, like the ones you would use on Thanksgiving to carve turkeys and ham.

"Daddy?" I squeak, my eyes going wide.

"I missed you, Princess," he coos, his voice complete with fatherly tone, "I missed you so much."

"Why are you holding that?" I ask him, sounding as scared as I always have, "What are you doing?"

"You went away for a long time," he tells me, shaking his head as if he disapproves, "Little girls shouldn't be doing stuff like that."

He steps closer to me, and I step back. He goes again, and I back away again.

"You're scaring me," I say, and he grabs my wrist.

"Stop running away from me!" he yells, obviously mad, "You're never gonna leave me again! I love you!"

"Stop it!" I yell, trying to wring my hand away from his grasp, "Stop it!"

He throws me onto the floor, and the blade cuts the outside of my arm. He kicks at me and tries to slash me, and I do everything that can possibly keep hm away from me.

"You won't leave me! Not like your mother did!" His kick gets my head, and everything goes black as I hear glass shatter and a bunch of yells of "Sakura!"

* * *

Nothing hurts. This is weird.

I'm not throbbing and in pain, but in a way, I'm not me.

"Hana?" I hear a voice ask, and I turn my head to see Sasuke there.

He's talking to a girl, and I'm breathless when I see her.

She's got long, violet-colored hair and big, sapphire-blue eyes. Like a little doll, or a painting.

"Sasuke-kun," she greets him, smiling.

Wait, Hana?

Her skin is the same color as mine, and we're the same height.

I wonder for a second if Sasuke is showing me all of this.

"Do you have to go?" he asks her, wrapping his arms around her lithe waist and placing his chin on her head.

She responds by wrapping her arms around his shoulders and chuckling. "The village needs me," she says, "And they won't like it very much when they find out I've been hanging out with a vampire all this time."

He pouts. "But I need you too," he says inhaling her scent, and I know what's coming next as he moves all her hair to one shoulder.

He drinks from her, and their grip around each other tightens as he drinks his fill.

This girl is Hana. And she looks exactly like me, except for the hair and eye color.

When he's done, she just kisses him the the lips and she walks out the door. I follow her, trying to see where she'll go next.

She's on her way to a village, taking an empty road through a forest, and immediately, she stops.

"What are you doing here?" she asks aloud, and I wonder who she's talking to.

Sasuke's brother, Itachi, comes out from behind a tree, obviously in hiding.

"Ita-kun," the violet-haired girl says, obviously unfazed.

"Hana-chan," he says, walking up to her, "Have you thought about my question?"

Her eyes are strong and determined, firing up in a way mine never could.

"I answered you the day you asked," she tells him, eyes narrowing, "I love Sasuke-kun, and I will not leave him for you."

"Do you not see what I'm offering you, Hana-chan?!" he growls angrily, grabbing her arm, "I _love _you! I can give you more than my idiot brother ever could!"

"What's wrong with you, Itachi?" she asks him, tears springing into her eyes, "You loved Sasuke! He's your brother! Why are you acting so selfishly?!"

He slaps her across the face, his eyes now blank and empty. "Because you walked into our lives."

He lifts her arm up the her face, and sprouts claws from his nails.

"This will look like a suicide, Hana-can," he tells her calmly, "You're wrists will be slit, and you'll run out of blood."

He cuts her wrists with his claws, and the blood pours out of them. He's trying to hold himself back from drinking from her and I can tell as his eyes turn ruby red and his fangs grow.

He cuts into her deeper and she screams.

"I love you," he tells her, and just like that, she stops.

And she's not breathing anymore.

He props her up against a tree and makes it look like she cut herself.

And then he leaves.

* * *

I wake up, cold sweat sticking to my forehead and I notice almost automatically that I'm at Sasuke's place.

"Sakura?" I hear somebody call, but I can't really tell who it is right now.

"Hinata?" I guess, and the sigh of relief I hear in response proves that I got it right.

"We were so worried about you!" she exclaims, and she hugs me.

I catch her scent automatically, and feel two things prodding at my lower lip.

She smells like sunflowers and rain. Have I noticed that before?

"Oh my," she says, noticing me, "I'll be right back. Just let me call Sasuke."

He walks in a few moments later, and I try not to notice how his throat looks.

He sits on the bed, right next to me, and looks me in the eyes.

I'm afraid that he'll see what I found out about Hana, but he doesn't because he looks at me with great understanding.

My eyes widen and I gasp.

He changed me.

"You're thirsty," he says, even though he doesn't have to confirm it.

"No," I say, shaking my head and backing away from him, "No. I-I'm not."

"You've always been such a bad liar," he says, and he makes the nail of his thumb sprout into a claw.

He drags it along his bottom lip, slicing the flesh open and suffocating me with a rusty, metallic scent.

I feel myself lunge at him, we he falls onto his back on the mattress.

I'm biting at his lower lip, sucking the blood away from him and then the cut is healed.

I'm still thirsty so I make my way down to his pulse, lightly scraping my fangs along his neck.

I bite down and I feel him tense under me.

"Sakura," he says, but his voice comes out in a hushed whisper, "I'm sorry."

I know what he's apologizing for, but I don't know if forgiving him is something I can do.

He's bonded with me and now I'm not even a person anymore. Not really.

Soon, I'm not thirsty anymore and I feel my fangs go back to a normal size.

"You know I don't love you," I tell him apathetically, "But you changed me anyway."

He says nothing and I feel semi-empty. Like a cliche.

"Do you like me because I remind you of Hana?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Don't you love the smell of suspense? Doesn't it make you feel all tingly inside?

No? Well, it should.

Don't forget to review on your way out!

Tokki Trigger, LAND HO!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Huzzah! Another chapter of 'Bloom' done! I really thank everyone who didn't give up on me and kept asking me to update ^^ And yes, there _are_ quite a few twists in this chapter, one of them starting right at the beginning. I really hope it doesn't bore any of you. Ha ha. Without further ado,

On with the fic!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or it's characters in any size, shape or form. Please keep this in mind as you try to sue me for copy right purposes.

**

* * *

**Chapter Nine

Remembering What Isn't Mine

I sit inside of my bedroom, staring at the bright white wall in front of me.

How long has it been since I left this room?

A week? Maybe two?

Nobody bothers me, which I'm slightly grateful for, except for Hinata to bring me food, and Sasuke every three days so we can feed.

I can't think of anything in here. Nothing exciting. Nothing at all.

I walk out of the room, practicing my newly acquired stealth.

I hear a smash in Karin's room, and I thought no one else was home.

I decide to check it out, to make sure it's not a burglar or something, and freeze in shock when I hear Suigetsu.

"You can't have Sasuke, Karin," he hisses, so low that I'm sure if it weren't for my heightened senses, I wouldn't be able to hear him, "Just like I can't have Sakura."

"You're wrong!" she hisses back, her voice slightly louder than his, "There's still a chance! He can still love me!"

"You _know_ damn well that they're bonded now," he threatens her, "And you know what'll happen if that bond is broken."

"I don't give a damn," she says, eyes hardening, "I'd rather have him dead than with that bitch again."

'Again?' I think, obviously confused, 'What does she mean by again?'

Suigetsu says nothing and he looks away from her. "You're just as greedy as I am," he tells her, "Just as selfish and just as stubborn. But dammit, Karin, he _loves _her!"

"No!" she finally yells, "He loves who she reminds him of! He loves her past life! He still loves Hana just as much as Itachi does! And just as much as you still do!"

I freeze. Past life?

Suigetsu grabs her wrists and pins her to the wall, murderous intent oozing from his tense muscles. "I do _not_ love Hana. Not anymore," he tells her, gripping her tight, "I stopped the second she chose Sasuke, and don't you ever tell me I don't truly love Sakura!"

She's not moving, and I can't tell whether it's out of fear or Suigetsu's special power.

"I will take you, Karin," he whispers, and I see him draw his fangs out, "I will bond with you so that you're little Sasuke-kun won't look at you, not that he ever looked at you in the first place." He scrapes them on the flesh in between her neck and her shoulder and I feel her tense. "I will take you so that no one can ever be stolen from me again."

"No," she says, her eyes widening, "Suigetsu, please don't do this."

He completely ignores her pleading and smirks at her, obviously feeling her fear. "You feed from me regularly anyway," he tells her, acting like it's no big deal, "But I waited for Sakura to love me so I fed from Juugo, who in turn fed from you." He glares into her eyes, not really caring about any of the tears.

I feel kinda sorry for Karin. All she did was love Sasuke.

"Doesn't that make you feel kinda dirty?" he asks her mockingly, "Letting your _cousin _feed from you? I don't know about you, but I'd feel like a whore."

"Shut up," she chokes out, "You don't know anything."

His eyes narrow angrily and he's suddenly at her neck, breaking through the skin and drinking her blood.

I try not to feel anything as the scent reaches my nose and I don't need to look in a mirror to know my eyes are ruby red.

"Get off!" she cries, trying to struggle, "Get off of me!"

He just holds her down tighter, ignoring all of her words.

Soon he's done, and he's not looking at her. "No one can take you now."

She looks at him in disbelief and slaps him right across the face. "I'll never forgive you."

* * *

We walk into school on Monday, Sasuke's arm wrapped around my waist uncaringly.

Karin and Suigetsu still aren't speaking to each other, regardless of their feeding.

He goes into her room regularly, his ruby red eyes only proving his thirst, and when he comes out, their back to their light lavender color.

I wonder how long they're gonna be like this.

They're bonded, but there's nothing between them.

I wonder how lonely it feels, to be with someone but not be with them.

Kinda like with Sai. We were meant to be, but somewhere along the line, fate made a little mistake.

That's why he was Temari's for a little bit.

We walk into him, and Sasuke instinctively wraps his arms tighter around me.

He gives me a blank look, so empty and passive that I would much rather have him throw me a death glare.

"He changed you," he says, and I know that he doesn't need an answer to know he's right, "I warned you, Haruno."

"You did," I say, nodding to him, "I made my choice."

"You _bonded_ with him," he snaps, and I can feel the venom oozing out of his words, "With that blood-sucking leech."

"Watch it, hunter," growls Sasuke, and I have to pull on his arm sleeve to hold him back.

"Not here," I hiss, "Not now."

He immediately stops, and so does Sai.

Suigetsu has other things in mind and he walks up to Sai, grinning cockily.

"Hey there, hunter," he says, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Eaten any good brains lately?"

"Of course not, leech," Sai says, smiling pleasantly, "Killed any good virgins?" He then looks at Karin, and then back at Suigetsu. "I see," he says, nodding his head, "You bonded with the red-head."

"I did," Suigetsu nods, looking up at her, "And?"

"I wonder if her cousin knows you had to rape her for it," he chuckles while pretending to think.

"Watch it, hunter," Suigetsu hisses, and Sasuke holds me back as I make a move to stand between them, "Don't talk about what you know nothing about."

"You hate it just as much as I do, don't you?" asks Sai, raising an expectant eyebrow, "That he got her in this life too? Even though you were there first again?"

I look at Karin and she says nothing to defend him.

Suigetsu turns to look at her and then shakes his head. "No," he says, turning back to Sai, "Because in this life, just like the past one, she won't be with you."

He then walks away from Sai, takes Karin's wrist, and drags her to the school.

She doesn't argue.

* * *

I scream as I run away from whoever's chasing me, even though I'm not entirely sure who it is.

My legs are shorter than they're supposed to be and I'm a bit chubbier.

I'm seven-years old again.

And being attacked.

Is this a dream?

Gosh, I really hope it is.

I huff as the man almost catches up and I run and run as fast as I can, which isn't very fast, mind you.

I run into an alley, one I don't remember being there three seconds ago, and it turns out to be a dead end.

Oh, joy.

But then the vampire is tackled out of the way by somebody with silver hair and lavender-colored eyes and my own eyes widen.

Suigetsu.

He's fighting and I think he's winning, but last minute that other vampire grabs his head and there's a dark blue glow around it.

Suigetsu passes out and the bad vampire walks over to me.

I press myself into the wall, and I notice that it looks like I'm trying to get the brownish-red bricks to swallow me.

As he steps out from the shadow of the alley, I recognize his features and my eyes widen.

I watch my younger self back away from him, going as far as she can to avoid him at all costs.

His pale, ivory-colored hand takes my wrist and brings it up to his lips.

As his lips break the skin, I feel my younger self stare into his endless onyx eyes, afraid of being swallowed by them as he drinks from me.

As soon as he's done, he places his hand on my forehead and a dark blue glow surrounds us, the same as what he did to Suigetsu.

I pass out and then he leaves.

The present me tries to keep my mind clear and level-headed.

The dark, raven hair and onyx-black eyes are two characteristics I'd never mix with anyone else.

Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

Hinata is awake first thing in the morning to clean and I have no idea why she didn't ask me to help.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan," she tells me, smiling, and I have to resist the urge to hug her, "I want to do it by myself today. My cousin and his girlfriend are coming over today."

"Neji and Ten Ten?" I hear, and I turn my head to the stairs to see Sasuke walking into the room, running a hand through his hair, "They're coming?"

I look at him. "Friends?"

He looks at me and shrugs, his gaze now feeling comfortable on my throat. "Not really," he replies, and I resist the urge to shiver.

"So, do Neji and Ten Ten have any special powers?" I ask, turning to Hinata, and I can almost feel Sasuke's smirk.

"Neji can put up barriers," she tells me, fluffing a couch cushion.

"Barriers?" I ask her, tilting my head in confusion.

She nods, a smile gracing her ever-flawless features. "Force fields," she explains, throwing the pillow back on the love seat, "Ten Ten can control metal, so her specialty is in weaponry."

"Do all vampires have special powers?" I ask her, tilting my head curiously.

"Nope," answers Sasuke, before she can open her mouth, "Only the ones from prestigious clans."

"You guys are from prestigious clans?" I ask them in shock, "Really?"

"Of course," he scoffs, rolling his eyes, "There _are _such things as normal vampires, you know."

"The Hyuga, Uchiha, and Uzumaki clans all hold the highest ranks in our society," explains Hinata, "That's why we're allowed to associate with one another."

"But Ten Ten's not accepted yet, is she?" asks Naruto, walking in from the other room, "Even though she and Neji have been mates for the past few centuries and she's from a big-shot clan too."

I look at Hinata. "Your cousin's mate, right?" I ask. "Why is that?"

She sighs. "Before she met Neji, Ten Ten was abandoned by her family."

"What?" I ask, eyes widening. "Why?"

"Her mother is a famous actress in our world, and her biological father is also from a very highly-respected clan," explains Hinata, looking at me, "But the vampire her mother was married to was from an even more respected clan. Nobody really accepted her because of that. Not even her mother."

"But she's mated with your cousin," I say, looking at her obviously confused, "Shouldn't it be okay now?"

"You would think so," sighs Sasuke, shaking his head, "But that's not the way it went. Marriage and bonding are very important, even in our world. The fact that her mother even _thought _of another man is highly unthinkable in our culture."

I'm about to say something, but Naruto cuts in and interrupts me, looking at Hinata.

"They're here."

* * *

We wait for Hinata in the living room, and my jaws drop when I see her come back with her cousin and who I assume to be his girlfriend.

Neji, I think his name is, looks just like Hinata with the same pale white skin and pearl-colored eyes, but his hair in coffee-brown, unlike her navy blue.

His girlfriend, Ten Ten, has big, hazel-brown eyes and chocolate brown hair tied into two panda buns on top of her head. Despite her boyish demeanor, she's just as graceful and elegant and beautiful as Hinata.

For the first time, I wonder what they would look like as humans. After my transformation, I looked relatively the same.

My thoughts are cut short as Ten Ten launches herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck and effectively choking me.

"Sakura-chan!" she squeals, and I wonder how she knows my name.

"Hinata told her," says Naruto, as if reading my thoughts.

Neji somehow successfully gets her off of me and she smiles sheepishly.

Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu come down the stairs and notice our two visitors.

"Well, if it isn't Magneto!" greets Juugo, a toothy grin on his face. I can catch the faint scent of Karin's blood on his breath.

A metal spoon is all of a sudden flung, aiming straight for his head, but is deflected by a bright green force field.

"Ten Ten," says Neji in a warning tone.

She pouts, "It's not my fault he's a bitch."

Neji sniffs the air and looks at Karin. "You mated with him?"

She crosses her arms over her chest and scoffs. "Not like I had a choice."

A thick, uncomfortable atmosphere suddenly fills the room until Ten Ten looks at me.

"Ah!" she exclaims, snapping everyone out of the awkward silence, "Sakura-chan! Have your powers shown up yet?"

I look at her and everyone else confused. "Powers?" I ask, raising an eyebrow, "What powers?"

"You mean you don't know?" she asks me in obvious shock, "You _are _mated with Sasuke, aren't you?"

"Yeah," I say, nodding my head, "But I thought only prestigious vampire clans had powers."

Hinata's cousin sighs. "Being mated to the Uchiha clan makes you part of a prestigious clan," he tells me, as if I should already know this, "You're blood is mixed with theirs, so therefore you have a power."

"But it hasn't shown up yet," I say, almost even more confused, "Is there a possibility I won't have one?"

Ten Ten shakes her head furiously. "Nope!" she says, flailing her arms, "You're guaranteed to get one! You're probably just a late bloomer!"

"A late bloomer?" asks Naruto, looking at her funny, "Seriously?"

Neji sighs. "Idiot."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I thought Neji and Ten Ten should be in this chapter because they don't really get any screen time during the actual anime and manga.

It kind of disappoints me because I love this ship. Ah, well.

Oh, and Kakashi _is _still in the story even though he doesn't appear much anymore.

I'll probably drag his sorry ass out from whatever rock he's under.

So, review and refer for Kakashi!

Tokki Trigger, CLEAR!


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Finally got chapter ten done! Whoo hoo! It took me forever to write because my writer's block was killing me! Ha ha. Anyway, I'd like to thank all the reviewers that haven't abandoned me or threatened to shank me with a spoon! I love you guys! I really want to finish this up n a few chapters, so be prepared for it's grand finale soon!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto in any shape, size, or form. Just like I don't own heart-shaped glasses. But I do own Ryu, Kyo, Sayuri, and Hana!**  


* * *

Chapter Ten**

**Even If I Can****'****t Protect You Anymore**

I drag Sasuke up the stairs to the school roof with me, pulling him by his wrist and ignoring his protest.

"Sakura," he says, trying to be stern, "I'm not kidding. Let me go."

"No," I tell him, and I sense Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo climbing up the stairs to catch up with us, "I need to see them."

"Sakura-san!" I hear Juugo call out, "If you want us to go with you, at least have the decency to slow down!"

"Well, maybe you guys should just hurry it up!" I call, and as I reach the roofs door, I kick it open.

"Sakura-chan!" I hear, and I'm tackled away from Sasuke and lying on my back under Temari, "I'm so sorry!"

I stare up at her confused. "Sorry for what?"

"Anything that made you not want to talk to me for so long!" she exclaims, whining.

I laugh at her. "I wasn't mad, you idiot," I tell her as we get up, "I just had a lot of stuff to do."

She looks at Sasuke and then me, and nods her head. "I see," she says, and I don't really understand what she's trying to say, "You guys are leaving, right?"

All of us stare at her with wide eyes and she scoffs. "Oh, don't give me that look!" she snaps, "I know that look when I see it! It's the look me and Sai-"

I freeze from where I am and see Sasuke and the others tense up.

She notices the tension and walks up to Sasuke and pats him on the shoulder. "So, I assume that you're the one that's gonna be taking care of my little girl," she tells him, smiling, "Take care of her. Or I'll kick your ass."

Sasuke smirks and nods his head. "If I can't take care of her," he starts, looking over at me, "I'll _let_ you kick my ass."

I stare at the two of them in shock and tackle them both. "You idiots!" I yell, trying not to cry, "Why are you trying to make this harder for me?!

They both smile as Kankurou and Gaara make their way over to us, and Karin, Suuigetsu, and Juugo just watch us.

I really want to stay and just be with my friends, but I can't anymore. _I can't_.

I can't put them in anymore danger.

"I can't stay here, Tema-chan," I tell her, sighing and smiling sadly, "I can't stay cooped up in this tiny little city with nowhere to go."

"I know," she tells me, sighing and nodding her head, "That's what I needed too. But I wasn't strong enough to go."

"You will be," Juugo says, looking at her, "Maybe not right now, but I know you will be. I have faith in you, Temari-san."

She looks at him with wide eyes, and blushes. It takes me a while to realize that she's as captivated as I was with them at first.

"Sakura," Gaara says, and that makes me turn away from them and look at him, "There's something different about you. Physically."

"Is there?" I say, smiling at myself, "I hadn't noticed.

* * *

"We're visiting your parents," Sasuke tells me, and it takes everything in my will power to not pout and complain.

"What?!" I exclaim instead, snapping my head in his direction, "Why?!"

"They're your parents," he says calmly, ignoring all of my protests, "We're just going to explain that they're not fit to raise you and that you and I are involved."

"Hypocrite!" I yell at him, "A few days ago, you didn't want me to even look at them! Now you're taking me over there?!"

"There's a difference this time," he says, staying calm despite all my yelling.

"And what's that?" I ask, challenging him.

"I'll be there with you."

It takes everything in me to not smack him.

* * *

I sit inside the care and wait patiently, clenching my seat belt in my balled up fist.

"Of all the days to be afraid of my driving," I hear Sasuke mutter.

"Maybe I wouldn't be so afraid if you didn't make me talk to them!" I snap, resisting the urge to raise my voice, "I just don't see why I have to."

"They're your _parents,_" he reasons, making sense as usual.

"Only by law," I say, stiffening as the house comes into view.

The lights are on in the kitchen and living room, and I see three silhouettes moving around.

"You got _Ryu_ to go?!" I exclaim, turning to him, "What the fuck?!"

"It was the only way I could convince your mother to stay in the same room as your father," he calmly explains.

I feel the flesh of my palm tear and I suddenly notice that my claws are out and digging into my palm.

"Shit," I say, cursing under my breath and feeling my throat go dry, "Sasuke."

He takes my hand and I notice his eyes take on a crimson red color, lighter than wine but not as dark as the blood running down my hand.

He licks the blood out of my palm, and I feel his tongue touch my open flesh as he places his wrists at my mouth.

I open my mouth and immediately sink my fangs into him and almost smirk to myself when I hear him gasp.

My arm feels tingly and numb, and the heartbeat that isn't supposed to be there is throbbing at almost one thousand miles a second.

"Are you all right?" he breathes, panting silently to himself, "Was it enough for you?"

"Yeah," I say, panting just as much, "Sorry about that."

He shrugs. "It happens."

There's a smug satisfaction in his voice and I resist the urge to ask him what it's there for.

We relax for a few minutes but when I hear his voice, my heart jump starts back to life.

"Ready?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No, I reply, putting my hand on my heart, "Not at all."

He leans over and gives me a kiss on the forehead. Then he gets out of the car and walks to my side, opening the door for me and holding out his hand.

I take it as I take deep breaths and try not to faint.

"Breathe," he says, rolling his eyes at me, "Vampires shouldn't be timid. You'd make us the laughing stalk of all mythical creatures and/or monsters."

"Shut up," I say, "This is your fault too."

He sighs. "I just have some things I need to discuss with them," he says, "It won't take long."

I stay quiet as we walk to the front door, my grip on his hand tightening every nanosecond.

Soon, we're standing right in front of it, staring at the dark, red brown wood.

I bring my hand up to the door and notice that the moonlight makes my skin glow a pale blue. I take a deep breath, try to relax, move to knock on the door again, and hesitate.

"Breathe," Sasuke tells me, for what seems to be the thousandth time that day, "I'm right here, Sakura."

My mind travels at one million miles a second and I try to collect my thoughts.

Sasuke and I are on one side of this door, free from any harm they can bring to us. The door is a barrier that separates us from the past I desperately want to leave behind, and on the other side of the door are my mother and father and step-father, capable of breaking me down even with my newly acquired strength.

I wanna run and I wanna get it over with and I wanna freeze time so I can go to another dimension.

But I end up knocking on the door and tensing when I feel my mother's presence on the other side of the door.

It swings open and I see her there, looking the same as she always has and just as young, like she doesn't have a care in the world.

Like her daughter's not missing.

She looks me up and down, coldly criticizing me in her mind, and her eyes widen a bit as she looks at Sasuke.

"She pregnant?" she asks, with a raised eyebrow, "Because if she is, she's not taking one step into this house."

"This isn't even your house," I mutter, under my breath.

"What was that?" she snaps, eyes staring me down.

"Nothing, mother," I tell her, putting on a sugar-sweet voice, "And I'm not pregnant."

She walks into the house, leaving the door wide open for us.

Sasuke and I walk inside, and I see my father stiffen when he sees Sasuke.

"Sakura," he says, his voice a little suspicious, "Stay away from that boy. He's dangerous."

"Don't act like what you did to her isn't," Sasuke says coolly, "I rescued her, but I guess I should apologize for not allowing you to lock her up or kill her."

"Shut up," my father snaps, and I notice Sasuke's smirk.

He knows he's won.

"If she's not pregnant," my mother asks, taking out a cigarette, lighting it, and taking a drag, "Why the hell are we here?"

"As you can see," Sasuke begins, sounding all-business, "Sakura and I are involved."

All eyes snap to us, and I notice Ryu's eyes linger on my body for longer than necessary.

"And who exactly are you?" he asks, obviously sizing up Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he replies, voice as calm and collected as always, "My parents own a trading corporation in Hong Kong, and my brother owns a chain of hotels in America. I'm living with my uncle, who is working as a chairman of education around here."

"I see," my mother replies, once she picks up her jaw from the floor, "What exactly does this have to do with us?"

"My uncle would like permission to legally adopt Sakura," he says, his voice not wavering, even for a second, "Her family name will remain as Haruno, but all school and/or government documents and the like will go straight to him."

"And why exactly would a family like yours want to adopt a girl like her?" my mother questions, blowing out the smoke in perfect rings, "She's not screwing all of you, is she?"

"If she was," my father begins, glaring at her, "It'd be something she got from your side of the family."

"Shut it, Kyo," my mother sneers, narrowing her eyes, "At least she didn't become a meth addict or inherit a bipolar disability."

I have never seen my father look as furious as he does now, angry at my mother for speaking like he's not in the room, but still watching her with a look of unmistakable love for a woman that would never love him again.

"I say we let them keep her," Ryu says, looking at me from the corner of his eye, "She won't do anything for any of us, anyway."

"She's our daughter, Sayuri," my father says, thoroughly ignoring Ryu, "We can't just give her away like she's nothing."

"If you give us Sakura," Sasuke says, looking both my parents in the eye, "You will both receive an amount of two hundred thousand yen monthly. The accounts have already been created, and the first deposit will be made as soon as you agree."

"Just like that?" my mom asks, and I can almost see the money signs in her eyes, "Really?"

"Really," Sasuke says, nodding his head, "Of course, there will be some papers that will need to be signed, but nothing you can't do over the mail."

"And how do you know we'll mail them to you?" Ryu asks, raising an eyebrow.

"If we do not receive notification of the documents, we will simply stop making deposits into the account," Sasuke says, and then he turns to my father, "Sakura told me of your bi-polar disorder. The money can be used for your treatment, Haruno-san."

I expect my father to lash out, so when I see him thinking about the treatment, I'm almost happy.

"Or to feed your old meth addiction," Ryu sneers, and when I see my father's ears turn red, I know he's right.

"Whatever you choose to do with the money will have nothing to do with us," Sasuke says, nodding, "It's completely yours."

"This boy of yours drives a hard bargain," my mom laughs, shaking her head in disbelief and flicking her cigarette, "Fine. Keep her. We don't want her."

"Sayuri!" snaps my father, looking at her disgustedly, "I will _not _let some rich brat _buy _my daughter from me!"

"If I were to somehow prove that you were incapable of taking care of Sakura," Sasuke says, looking at him, "We have every right of taking her away."

"You have no proof!" my father snaps, eyes hardening.

"Is that so?" Sasuke challenges, raising an eyebrow, "A close family friend of ours happens to own a law firm. Does the name Uzumaki sound familiar?"

My mother almost drops her cigarette and I feel my father's heart rate sky rocket.

"I was unaware that we were dealing with such a powerful man," my father says, shaking his head in obvious disbelief, "Take her."

Sasuke smirks and looks at me, then looks back to my parents and nods. "Pleasure doing business with you," he says, pleasantly, "I hope that the next time we see each other isn't under such circumstances."

Ryu lets out a hearty laugh and throws his head back. "I just hope we never have to see each other again."

Sasuke nods, puts his arm around me, and leads me to the door.

* * *

The storm outside rages and makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, but Sasuke's arm around me makes me feel more secure.

Juugo and Suigetsu come staggering in, carrying Kakashi with Karin trailing behind them. Naruto and Hinata rush down from upstairs.

"What's that smell?" I ask, covering my mouth and nose with my hand.

"Alcohol," Sasuke replies, narrowing his eyes in disgust, "He's been drinking."

"Vampires can get drunk?" I ask, obviously surprised.

"Obviously," Sasuke says, rolling his eyes at me, "The smell of alcohol is just a little strong for us." Then his eyes go wide for a little bit. "He's hurt."

"What?" I ask, and sure enough, there's a gash on his hand leaking blood, "Won't it heal?"

"Only vampire bites heal, ementra," Karin snaps, holding her breath, "And Suigetsu and I can't drink the blood because we're bonded."

"Juugo?" I question, raising my eyebrow as I feel a sudden dryness in my throat.

"He's already drunk from Kakashi once," Suigetsu replies, also holding his breath, "If Kakashi were to drink from him, they'd be bonded."

"We can't just let him keep bleeding like that!" I exclaim, and suddenly I feel a surge of heat rush into my hands.

Naruto and Hinata's heads snap to me, and I look at my hands to see a dark green glow come from them.

"What the hell?" I ask, staring at them stupidly.

"Put your hand onto Kakashi's wound," Hinata says, studying my hands from afar, "Let's see if it heals it."

I walk over to Kakashi and notice that his eyes are ruby red. I stiffen and he forces a smile.

"Don't worry," he says, a little tiredly, "I won't bite you, Sakura."

So I decide to put my faith I him and place my hand over his for a few seconds. When I take them off, the flesh is put back together and not even a scar is left.

I look at Sasuke with a smile on my face and he stares at me with wide, troubled eyes.

"You're a healer," he breathes out, and the others just stare at their feet.

I stare right back at him. "Hana was a doctor, ne Sasuke-_kun_?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Don't you just LOVE the smell of suspense?

Ha ha.

Keep reading!

And reviewing!

And referring!

Tokki Trigger, OUT!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Chapter Eleven! Whoo-hoo! I apologize for this being on hiatus so long. I just _couldn't _do it. I am currently writing chapter twelve, but there is an epilogue at the end of the actual chapter. I really am grateful for everyone that stuck with me this far (if anyone really did) and please note that after I'm done with this one, I _will _be posting a PowerPuff Girls fic, so please keep an eye out for that. Thank you :)

**Disclaimer: **There are a lot of things I don't own. Naruto is just one of those.**  


* * *

Chapter Eleven**

**At the End of My World**

I sit inside our room, hugging my legs to chest and trying not to think about the memory of Itachi.

Sasuke hasn't said more than two sentences to me since the healing incident, and I feel like we're Karin and Suigetsu. I really hope we're not.

He looks at me from his seat in front of me with eyes so amazingly pained I feel like I'm staring at someone completely new to me. It sounds so cliché it makes me wanna hit something.

"Don't look at me like that," I say, hugging my legs closer to me, "I'm not Hana. I'm not the girl who died more than two centuries ago." He looks at me with wide eyes and I have to remind myself not to be surprised that I got a reaction. "Don't accuse me of being the girl that broke your heart."

"Do you think…" he starts, and he looks away from me, "That she would've been a healer?"

"I think so," I nod, looking up at him, "I think she would've gotten a power that represents her."

"That's the basis of our powers," he tells me, now looking at him, "They fit us, as people. Or semi-people."

"Is that so?" I ask, tilting my head to the side, "Then, what power does your mother have?"

"My mother is gifted in the art of fire manipulation," he says, staring at the white wall in front of him, "She's warm, and gentle, but she can be wild and passionate. That's why my father fell in love with her."

"Is that so?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow, and he nods, "What can your father do?"

"He controls water and ice," says Sasuke, still not looking at me, "He's cold and cool and collected, but when he's mad, it's like facing the ocean."

"I see," I say, nodding my head, "And your brother?"

"He can… rearrange memories," he says, his body visibly tensing, "He can erase them and move them around and create new ones. He can make it seem like you remembered something that didn't even really happen." He sighs, and I notice his eyes barely harden. "If he makes memories and puts them into someone, I can't see the original memory. I can only see the one he created."

"Oh," I say, and realization dawns on me. He didn't see the truth about the day Suigetsu saved me because he can't. Itachi drank from me. "Can you see Hana's memory in me?" I ask him.

"Hana's memories?" he asks, raising an eyebrow, "No. Wait, are you having flashbacks of Hana's life?"

"No, it's not that," I tell him, lying easily, "I was just curious."

"You'd tell me, wouldn't you?" he asks me, trust obviously in his eyes, "If you remembered anything with her life, you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course I would," I tell him, nodding my head.

"Why did you call me Sasuke-kun?" he asks, and his eyes almost swallow me like they did the first day we met, "Only Hana has ever called me that. What made you do it?"

"Something in me told me to," I say, and the lie is so easy that I almost feel bad, "I don't know what it was, but I don't think it wants you to forget her."

"How am I supposed to move on if she doesn't want me to forget?" he asks me, almost bitterly laughing, "It's not very fair."

"No," I say, shaking my head, "It's not." I look him in the eye and see myself reflected in them. "I don't care if you don't love me yet."

He scoffs. "That's only because you don't love me either."

"Not yet," I tell him, and I can't bring myself to feel bad, "But one day, I will."

"And one day, I will too," he says, leaning over me to press his lips against mine.

I grab fistfuls of his shirt and pull him over me.

And then he makes me his mate all over again.

* * *

Temari and Sai are back together again, and the thought of it makes me wanna smile.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" Sasuke asks me, annoyed of my humming.

"Sai and Temari are finally at it again!" I practically squeal at him, almost jumping, "They're in _love_!"

He freezes. "Do you wish we were in love sometimes?"

"Sometimes," I say, answering honestly, "But I know we're not, and that's all right."

"What if… I already loved you?"

I can't bring myself to turn back as I walk out of the door.

* * *

I walk down the street, hugging my arms close to me as I feel the sun set, wind cool on my skin.

I feel someone behind me, not human, that much I can tell.

There's nobody else behind me, and I start to function just how cliché my life really is.

"Hey there, beautiful," they call behind me, quickly catching up.

I'm just about to sprint away when they catch up to me, putting their hand on my shoulder and I feel s sensation of power being drained from my body.

Everything goes black.

* * *

I wake up, bound by my wrists and ankles with an abnormally glowing blue string. I think I'm in a cave, a really big cave with an altar that I'm standing on.

I feel at least six different presences around me, one of them the person I felt earlier, and another one Itachi.

"Itachi-san! Itachi-san!" I hear a voice calling, "The pretty onna is waking up! The pretty onna is waking up!"

I hear no response as I open my eyes and lift up my head, taking in everything in front of me.

Itachi is there, obviously, accompanied by the one that took me, a sharky-looking guy with pale blue skin and abnormally sharp teeth, and four more guys I don't know.

One of them looks kinda like Gaara with his wine-red hair, but his eyes are brown. The blue glowing strings look like they're coming out of his fingers, and I realize he must be the one keeping me in place.

Another one of them is tall and lanky with dirty blonde hair tied into a high ponytail and only one visible blue eye, but I'm positive he has two.

There are two more, one with silver hair and black eyes, tied up with the blue glowing strings just like mine, and another one and the other one is running around freely, a swirling mask covering his face but doing nothing to hide his spiky black hair. He reminds me of a kid running on caffeine.

"What the _fuck_ do you want with me, Itachi?" I hiss, my eyes narrowing at him.

He looks at me, his eyes so blank it almost hurts. "Silence," he orders, not raising his voice one bit but with an authority I just have to obey, "You will not speak unless spoken to, is that understood?"

I harden my gaze at him but nod anyway because, let's face it, what else can I do?

"Have you sampled her power yet, Deidara?" he asks, looking at the blonde.

"Yeah, un," Deidara answers, nodding his head, "She's a healer, un. A good one at that. A lot like Hana, un."

"I see," says Sasuke's brother, his voice dropping an octave or two, "Kisame has already taken what strength she had. Is this to your liking, Sasori?"

"It's pleasant," replies the one that looks like Gaara, "She can't struggle, or break through my strings, not that she could before. Are you holding up well, Hidan?"

"I am all right," says the one bound like me, "I am doing this for the Lord, so one may die in peace or pieces. It is my God's command, and therefore I am proud."

"We will begin the ceremony," orders Itachi, his voice barely rising, "I will have my Hana, finally after so long."

"Tobi, guard the door," orders the blue one, that I think is Kisame, "We don't want anybody crashing the party, now do we?"

"Tobi is a good boy!" says the one in the swirly mask, "Tobi will guard the door with his life, Kisame-san!"

Sasori's strings grow bigger and glow bluer on me and on the one I'm sure is Hidan. I feel like I'm starting to lose circulation in my hands.

Itachi mumbles something in another language, some kind of ancient text I don't understand.

Electricity jolts all throughout my body and I scream the pain so immense that I don't even care if I'm showing weakness to the enemy.

I feel my fangs and claws sprouting forcibly through my body, and I have no control over my own flesh anymore.

I realize the same thing is happening to Hidan too as he starts screaming.

Itachi mumbles more, his voice not wavering one bit as the other one's watch on.

I know this won't finish because my life really is that cliché, but I can't help but lose a little faith until Sasuke and the others crash through the cave's entrance and distract Itachi.

Sasori's string glow less blue as he gets distracted to before something appears right before his eyes and kicks him across the face.

I realize it's Hinata, moving as gracefully and fluidly as ever.

"Sorry we're late," says Kakashi, getting into a fighting stance, "We had to pick up a few friends."

I see Sai with them for whatever reason, and so are Ten Ten and Neji.

Since Hinata's there, so is Naruto, and that means Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo are there too.

Then I realize two more people are with them.

One of them is a guy with pale skin, light brown eyes the color of wood, and a pineapple-shaped ponytail on top of his head.

The other is a girl with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes, so identical to Deidara it's scary.

"Well, if it isn't little Ino, un," Deidara mocks, smirking, "Haven't seen you in a while."

"That's because you missed the family reunion, _bro_," she sneers, narrowing her eyes.

"The holidays just aren't my thing, un," he says, shrugging nonchalantly, "But enough chit-chat. Let's dance, piglet, un."

Before he can move, a shadow shoots its way across the floor, hooking its way to his ankles.

"Thanks, Shikamaru," says Ino, nodding to the boy with the wood-colored eyes, "Keep him like that, will you? I'd rather not have a 'dead' brother."

"Of course you wouldn't," nods Shikamaru.

The others have already "met their matches", Naruto, Hinata, Karin and Suigetsu teaming up against Tobi, Kakashi, Juugo and Sai against Kisame, and Ino heading for Sasori with Ten Ten and Neji.

Sasuke goes up to Itachi, his eyes practically on fire with his claws out.

"Give her back," he hisses, narrowing his eyes into slits.

Itachi turns to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't we ask Sakura what she wants?" he questions, his voice icy cold, "This won't kill her. Not at all. But it will change her back to her human form."

I freeze, and I notice that Sasuke does too.

"She will no longer be bound by you, nor by me," Itachi goes on, "Then she will choose to become my mate, or your mate, or stay human till her death and end up with the hunter we just _know_ is still in love with her."

He turns to me and keeps going. "Which would you like, hmm, _Sa-ku-ra_?"

I look at Itachi with wide eyes, then turn to look at Sasuke.

His fists are clenched and he's looking at the floor, but more than anything, I wanna see his eyes.

I wanna see myself disappear into ebony-black and never swim back out.

"I want Sasuke."

I don't even realize I'm saying it out loud until everybody's eyes snap to me.

"Oh, no, no, no. We can't have this," says Itachi, turning to Sasuke, "I'll finish you quick, little brother." The way he says it makes the bad kind of shivers run up and down my body. "And then I'll be once again with Hana."

He charges at Sasuke with speed I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to see if I were human.

"Move, Sasuke!" I screech, but I realize little blue glowing strings are wrapped around his wrists and ankles.

I look around furiously and realize the others are just as bound as he is, except for Sai who's immune to all of our powers. Literally milliseconds before Itachi gets to Sasuke, Sai appears, throwing some kind of ofuda-looking thing at Sasori's forehead before getting stabbed through the heart by Itachi's claws.

Everybody's free from Sasori's hand now, and they keep on fighting as I freak out about saving Sai.

"Sai!" I scream, running toward him now that I'm unbound, "Sai!"

I kneel next to him, my hands glowing in a vain attempt to save him.

His blood doesn't make me or anybody else thirsty, a trait that Kakashi told me hunters developed over time.

"Don't you dare fucking die, you asshole," I cry, practically forcing my hands onto his wound, "Don't you fucking dare, Sai!"

His breath goes shallow and fast, his death drawing out dramatically, like those crappy death scenes in cheesy movies.

"Sakura," he says, somehow still able to speak, "Promise me that you'll love me in the next life."

"Sai," I whisper, cupping his cheek tenderly with my hand, "I don't have a next life."

He gives me one last smile, that sad kind of smile where you know you're saying good bye for a really long time even though it's not forever.

"Don't be a hunter in your next life, okay?" I say, trying to smile back, "I really loved you."

His eyes stay open while his soul leaves his body. It's scary to be looked at through shining onyx pools of nothing

I can't bring myself to be the one to close them for him.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I kinda feel bad for killing him off like this, but it had to be done.

I apologize for the crappy fight scene. They're not exactly my strong point -_-

Anyway, one more chapter left till the end.

You know what to do: Read, Review, Refer.

Tokki Trigger, ROLLIN' UP OUT THE JOINT.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Oh my god! It's finally here! The final installment of 'Bloom'! Please note that this chapter is shorter than the rest on purpose. The epilogue is at the bottom of the page, and it also significantly shorter than all the others. Anyway, I'd really, really, really like to thank anybody who cared enough to actually keep reading and stick with me this far. I really do appreciate you guys, and I apologize that 'Bloom' was such a long project.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a car. I don't own a goldfish. I don't own Naruto. The end.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**The End That Didn't Become a Beginning**

I stand and leave Sai on the floor; his eyes still wide open as I don't have the strength to close them.

I'm angry. No, wait. I'm pissed the fuck off. More pissed than I've ever been at anybody.

Maybe, just maybe, I actually hate Itachi.

My fangs are out and so are my claws. Everybody else has them out too.

The air is thick and scented like metal. We have to hurry until we can't hold back any longer.

I join Sasuke in fighting Itachi.

Let's face it: Now, it's personal.

I'm too mad to care about what anybody else is doing, too mad to think of anybody else but me, Sasuke, Itachi, and Sai.

Itachi's a good fighter. A really good fighter.

I haven't had much training in combat, my movements are a bit clumsy but they'll do.

Sasuke is amazing, having centuries to train and never die.

But still, there's two of us and one of him. It takes a while, and soon he's slowing down but just barely.

We take our chance.

"Suigetsu!" yells Sasuke, as Itachi takes a step back to evade a kick to the throat.

Suigetsu's hands automatically glow dark purple as he appears behind Itachi, reaches out, and literally tears through the air.

I see another dimension through the rip in ours; it's a forest with a small animal running across it.

With the one last clumsy kick I gave him, he takes an unintentional step into the portal, and Suigetsu quickly closes it up by grabbing the ends of the tear and pulling them together.

We send Kisame, Tobi, Hidan and Sasori to the same dimension, opening and closing the portal as needed.

The only reason we keep Deidara around is because he's Ino's brother.

At the end, we gather around Sai.

Sasuke's the one that closes his eyes, and that strangely gives me more peace than anything.

"Suigetsu," I say as I see him take Karin's hand, "Where did you send him?"

He looks at me guiltily, his lavender-colored eyes apologetic.

"To the dimension where Hana loved him."

* * *

My hands are clammy and I'm nervous as Sasuke and I stand in front of Temari's door, debating on whether or not to knock.

"We have to," Sasuke tells me, taking my hand, "It's been days. She has a right to know he's gone."

"But it'll hurt her so much," I try to reason, even though I know it's no good, "She loved him. She still loves him."

"That's why she has to know," he says, rolling his eyes at me, "So she can get over him."

So I knock on the door, my eyes almost filling with tears.

She opens it and smiles first, then stops, her face dropping.

This really makes my heartbreak, and I end up crying before I can say a word.

"He's gone, isn't he?" she asks, already crying, "Isn't he?"

"I'm so sorry," I sob, hugging her tight, "I'm so fucking sorry, Temari."

She falls to her knees and I fall with her, Sasuke standing over both of us and watching as we sob our hearts out.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she asks, tears coming down just as hard as before, "I know you are. You can't stay anymore, can you? It's all too much. It's all too fucking much."

"I want to take you with me," I tell her, and I mean it, "I really do. You, and Gaara and Kankuro. I wanna take all of you. But I can't."

"You're not a person anymore, are you?" she asks me, a bittersweet smile on her face, "I know you're not. You've been too far away from us. Too unattainable. We can't reach you where you are, can we?"

"Not this time, Temari," I whisper into her hair, "Not this time."

So we keep sobbing on her porch, Sasuke not moving away from my side. Soon, she falls asleep on me, and we carry her into her room, tuck her in, and leave through the window, using our enhanced stealth.

Soon, we make it to the house and go into our room, no questions asked.

"Sakura," he says, trying to get my attention, "She's pregnant."

* * *

**Epilogue:  
Forty Years Later**

She watches her grandson play on the swing, gliding back and forth across the air.

"Grandma! Look!" the little boy yells, squealing with delight.

She smiles gently, her once dirty blonde hair now graying and her forest green eyes still bright.

"Be careful, Sai," she says, crossing her arms and taking a calm, relaxed breath.

Her daughter walks up to her, the stray strands of ebony-black hair clashing against her forest green eyes.

"You should go inside, Mom," the woman tells her, "I can watch Sai."

"Hush now, Sakura," Temari tells her daughter, smiling, "I would like to watch my grandson have fun, thank you. I may be old, but I'm not _that_ old."

Sakura smiles gently, nodding her head. "He really does look like Dad, doesn't he?" she asks, proudly, "Even though I've only seen him in pictures because he died before I was born, he really does look like him."

"Yes," the older woman says, sighing in content, "Almost a spitting image."

She turns to look off into the distance, but not before catching a glance at a head full of bright pink hair at the corner of her eye.

* * *

**Author's Note: **That's the end! Finally! :D

So yeah...

Anyway, I'm thanking everybody that stuck with me again. You're all amazing, I mean it.

Please, please, please do not be afraid to review, or refer me to other fanfiction readers.

I'd really love to be read by all sorts of people that can give me all sorts of feed back.

And don't forget to keep an eye out for my new PowerPuff Girls fanfiction, 'More'.

If you'd like a preview of it, tell me in the review you give me, and I may just post the first chapter on my profile.

Tokki Trigger, ROLLIN' UP OUT THE JOINT!


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